


Red Cuffs of Fate

by GabzJones



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crime AU, Detective Yuuri, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Happy Ending, Humor, M/M, Minor Violence, Rated for Later Chapter, Romance, Soulmate AU, Yuuri's maybe a little bit tsundere in this but I love him, criminal victor, honestly this isn't as angsty as you think it is, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-01-05 02:31:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 38,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21206000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GabzJones/pseuds/GabzJones
Summary: Just one touch is all it takes to find your soulmate. That first brush of skin on skin contact leaves a stain, marks embedded in the skin. They call it fate. Fate bringing you to the person you are meant to be with. Katsuki Yuuri never believed in fate. And if fate really was real, then it was crueller than Yuuri could have ever anticipated. It was his first job as detective; hunting down the ever elusive Mercury, a thief who got his kicks from simply getting away with the crime. Yuuri had gotten close. Really close. And then he noticed the mark of the soulmate bond on his hand.But, fate wasn't real and Yuuri could resist Mercury's advances no matter how charming and sweet he was... right?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhh I'm so nervous! This fic has been my baby for a while and I've been really excited to share it with you. I was going to just watch over this bang, but I really wanted to work with the amazing artist Cerise and I got lucky enough for her to accept my request, and here we are! The art for this story is stunning and I can't wait for you to see what we've created together. So, without further ado, enjoy this crazy ride!

Blue light danced into the room, bleeding through the sheer curtains and illuminating the darkness. The rhinestones on his mask glimmered in the light, the tinted gleam painting all the way along his jawline as he focused his gaze on the blade in his hand. His azure eyes scanned along the edge of the metal, and as he reached the sharp point, the light switched from deep blue to brilliant red.

As if using it as his cue, the silence in the room was broken by the sound of the blade being snapped back into the cover of its handle. The red and blue light flashed back and forth again and again outside and he continued to open and close the switchblade absentmindedly as he waited. The plan was set in motion, everything had worked out just fine, but now he was stuck waiting for the police to make their next move. Unfortunate, really. This was the boring part.

A muffled whimper broke him from his thoughts. He sighed, kicking his feet up onto the desk in front of him and lounging back in his chair as he watched his frightened hostage. On the other side of the desk, she was tied to a chair of her own, a gag keeping her from crying out for help. The fear in her eyes was obvious as she stared back at him.

“I told you before, I’m not gonna hurt you.” He assured, putting the knife away and holding out his gloved hands to her, trying to seem the least bit threatening he could under the circumstances, “You stay right there and the police will take care of you when they decide to come in, okay?”

The shrill ring of the phone in front of him forced his attention away. Letting his feet drop from the desk, he picked up the receiver, winking to his terrified captor as he spoke in as sultry a voice as he could muster, “And what can I do for _ you _ this evening, officer?”

The other end was silent for a moment. He had taken the officer by surprise. That was a small victory of its own. Eventually, a male voice replied, _“I uh, I’m here to find out what you want.”_

“Is this your first time negotiating with a criminal?” He smirked, leaning forward in his chair. This may be even more fun than he’d first thought.

_“Not at all. Just the first time with one so hospitable.”_ The voice on the other end remarked and he could almost hear the smirk. Interesting. Where most of the officers he’d dealt with in the past had been sticks in the mud, this one seemed at least to be a little bit more carefree.

“What’s your name?”

_“Is that one of your demands?”_

He scoffed, “Humour me.”

The seconds ticked by, but eventually he was given his answer, _“Phichit.”_

“Well, Phichit, you truly are a breath of fresh air to your trade. Don’t let them turn you into another pencil pusher.” He looked up, eyes meeting the fearful ones across the table from him, “As for demands, I have none. I’ve already taken what I want. I’m here for a game. The elusive Mercury, that’s what the papers are calling me, right? It’s in your best interest to catch me while you can.”

_“If you are who you say you are, then I’d advise you give yourself up now. Come outside slowly with your hands up. Giving yourself up might help lessen your punishment.”_

“Bored.” Mercury sighed as he got to his feet, “If you want me, you’ll have to come inside and get me.” 

* * *

Yuuri sat in the driver’s seat, the red and blue lights flashing to signal the public to stay back. It was a crime scene. A live crime scene. They couldn’t allow anyone to get hurt. But that meant they had to get the hostage out. Yuuri hadn’t dealt with many hostage situations before. There was always a fear in the back of his mind that something was going to go wrong. Maybe the criminal would feel threatened. Maybe the hostage would react in the wrong way. Whatever it was, there was a chance, no matter how small, that the hostage would lose their life. 

Yuuri stared at the file in his hands, skimming through the information that they had on Mercury. His first case since becoming detective, and it was a big one. Being able to catch Mercury would prove his worth, but no one had had any luck so far. The only positive Yuuri could see was that murder didn’t fit this criminal’s MO. There was a high possibility that the hostage would be fine. But first, they needed to determine that this was the work of Mercury.

Dropping the file on the seat beside him, Yuuri stepped out of the car, the cold night air biting at his skin. Outside the car was chaos, officers moving in different directions, preparing for the worst case scenarios. There was a reason Yuuri didn’t have much experience with hostage situations. These were the types of crime scenes he hated. Too chaotic, not enough control. It always made him anxious. But, there was a chance this was linked to Mercury, which meant he had to be there. This was his territory. He had to make the calls.

Yuuri crossed the car park, leaning against the car his best friend was seated in. Phichit looked perplexed as he hung up the phone, “Any luck?”

“They were right. We’re dealing with Mercury.”

“Good.” Yuuri smiled to himself, glancing at the officers moving back and forth around the lot, “That means the hostage is in safe hands.”

Phichit stepped out of the car, stretching his limbs, “Yeah, he said that himself. Says that if you want her safe, you’ve gotta go get her. He’s bored. He wants to be chased.”

Yuuri nodded to himself, worrying his teeth along his bottom lip as he thought through the situation. It was dangerous to go guns blazing into a hostage crime scene. It was too easy to spook the criminal. It led to deaths. If there was one thing they were always taught, it was to get the criminal to come out peacefully, or at the very least be completely certain that the hostages were out of harms way. This was different, though. There was no spooking Mercury. He wanted this. The entire situation was set up in the hopes of a chase. Going in there guns blazing, it was exactly what he wanted. It felt like a trap, but that wasn’t how Mercury worked. He just wanted the thrill. He was a thief, occasionally assaulting people when necessary, but he was no murderer. He had nothing to gain from tricking the police. His thrills came from getting away. 

Yuuri couldn’t let that happen.

A whistle rang out from between Yuuri’s teeth, signalling for the officers in the area to pay attention, “I want two groups. Group one, you’ll be heading around the back of the building, securing the exit. Once you’ve done that, you’re to begin a sweep through the bottom floor. Your priority is to find the hostage and ensure their safety. Group two, you’ll be with me. We’re moving in from the front and sweeping the second floor. Do not shoot unless absolutely necessary. The safety of the hostage is of the utmost importance. Once she is found, you get her to safety. Only then will you attempt to subdue the criminal. Do I make myself clear?”

Yuuri didn’t feel the authority that he portrayed, anxiety bubbling at the surface. He had to keep it inside, couldn’t afford for the officers to see how worried he was. He was supposed to lead. Yuuri could do that. They’d get her out alive, and maybe if he was lucky, they’d be able to arrest Mercury at the same time. Wouldn’t it be something for him to be able to claim he arrested the great Mercury on his very first case? He could prove his worth as a detective overnight.

With Yuuri’s motivation, the officers split into groups, following the instructions of their new leader. It felt strange to lead. Yuuri had spent so much time following, all so that he could be in that position. He could do this. Everything up to that point had been for this. The perimeter had already been secured, the officers were well trained. This was it. This would be the night Mercury would finally be stopped. 

The building was quiet as they slowly moved through it, their footsteps harsh against marble flooring. They’d lose the advantage at this rate. No doubt Mercury would be able to hear them coming, but there was nothing they could do but keep moving forward. The quiet, the darkness, it was almost eerie and as the time slowly passed, a feeling of unease began to set in the pit of Yuuri’s stomach. Something was going to go wrong, he was sure. They had to be on guard, remain alert. What if it was a copycat crime? What if it was someone pretending to be Mercury with much more sinister motives? What if the hostage was already injured or worse? Yuuri let out a shaky breath, steadying himself as they made it to the end of the hallway.

All Yuuri could do was watch as the officers went through the routine of opening each door, scanning for threats before moving onto the next room. And the next. And the next. With each empty room, Yuuri’s sense of dread grew. What had the criminal done? Where was the hostage? What kind of state were they going to be in? 

“Detective, we’ve got her.” The officer at the front of the group declared. Everyone rushed in to assist her, working to cut her loose and searching for any wounds. Yuuri simply watched from the doorway, relief flooding his system. They’d done it. No one was dead. The hostage looked fine, if a little shaken. So, it was true. Mercury had no intention of hurting her. This wasn’t about her at all. It was about thrill. That’s what it had always been about. The thrill of the chase. Yuuri had noticed it with all the previous reports. Mercury didn’t just commit crimes. He made sure someone saw him, made sure there was a daring escape. 

It wasn’t about the crime. It was about getting away with it.

The woman was shaking as she was untied, gripping tightly to the first officer she saw. Tears stained her cheeks, but she didn’t seem in any way harmed. Just shaken. Yuuri could handle shaken. In time, she would be okay. His gaze moved around the room, taking in their surroundings. He wanted there to be some kind of clue, some reason why this was the room she’d been tied up in, but deep down he knew there wasn’t any significance. He had to do it somewhere, why not there? Yuuri sighed, defeated. No new leads. This was going to be another dead end.

Yuuri’s body went stiff as something brushed against his back. It was such a delicate touch, he barely even felt it, but the situation already had him on edge, ready to defend himself. An officer would know better. They’d announce their presence. This was something else. Yuuri’s teeth dug into his bottom lip as he reached for the gun at his hip, turning swiftly on his heels.

Nothing. There was nothing.

Whatever had touched him was already gone. He frowned, looking down the hall just in time to catch a glimpse of… coat tails. The building had been secured. There was no one else there. No one but police, a hostage… and Mercury. Yuuri frowned, stepping away from the officers. They could take care of the hostage. He preferred it that way. Hostages weren’t something he was used to dealing with. He’d much prefer the chase, finding the criminal and taking them down. 

It wasn’t a small building. Yuuri turned a corner, following a tall figure who appeared to be in a dark suit, but there were always things in the way. Stairs, another corner, a door, more stairs. Yuuri kept following, moving with the suspect until there was finally an opening, a long hallway with nothing to get between them. The time had come. Now or never.

Pulling the gun from its holster, Yuuri pointed it towards the stranger at the end of the hall, “Don’t move.”

His voice echoed through the hall, the figure in the distance going still. Yuuri couldn’t see much of them. From what he could tell, the stranger was wearing a full suit complete with coat tails. They were taller than Yuuri, slender, but beyond that, he couldn’t make out much else. A moment of silence passed, then another. Yuuri wasn’t sure what to do. Move closer. Arrest them. That was what he should’ve been doing, but he had expected the criminal to do something. This was… different. He found himself simply watching, waiting for something to happen.

A chuckle sounded from the other end of the hallway, the figure finally turning to face him. Yuuri first noticed the mask. It was beautiful, glittering jewels adorning the black material. It sat on the stranger’s face like it was made for him. Maybe it had been. A perfect fit, molded specifically for him. 

“You took your time. I was starting to think I’d make my escape without ever being seen.”

Yuuri frowned. It was just like the reports had said. Mercury, a criminal who wanted to be seen, who craved the attention and the danger of his crimes. Yuuri couldn’t quite believe it. He’d never dealt with a criminal that wanted to be caught. But that wasn’t quite what it was. He wanted to _ almost _ be caught. Yuuri couldn’t settle for that. He took a breath to steady himself, his grip tightening on his gun as he began to move towards the stranger.

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in court.” Yuuri let himself fall into routine, the words spilling from his lips without a second thought, “You have the right to a lawyer during questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer—”

“Stop.” Mercury held up a hand, shaking his head, “At least catch me before you start the spiel.”

Yuuri stood only a few steps from Mercury. He could see where the name came from. Silver hair like moonlight fell into his eyes. It was beautiful. He had a strong jawline and striking blue eyes. Maybe under different circumstances Yuuri would’ve found him… stunning. 

“Hands up.” Yuuri ordered, eyes trained on the man before him.

Mercury smirked, raising his gloved hands. Yuuri closed the distance between them, reaching to grab one of Mercury’s wrists. It all happened so quickly. At one moment, Yuuri was in control. In the next, Mercury had moved with such swiftness, knocking the gun from Yuuri’s hands. He moved away, smile never wavering. Training kicked in, Yuuri moved to apprehend Mercury, but no matter what he did, he always seemed to be a step ahead, moving out of Yuuri’s reach.

Yuuri gritted his teeth, frustration beginning to sink in. He had hoped to do this peacefully, for no one to get hurt. But, if Mercury wanted a fight, Yuuri was willing to give him one. Fists flew, Mercury managing to dodge and weave all of Yuuri’s attempts. “There’s no point fighting it!”

“I’m not the one fighting.” Mercury pointed out with a chuckle.

“…You’re right.” Yuuri stopped abruptly, watching the man in front of him. It was obvious that this wasn’t going to work, that Mercury could keep up just fine. Yuuri would have to try a different strategy. Shooting him in the leg was out of the question, the gun having been discarded in the middle of the hall. If he tried to get it, Mercury would get away. Too much of a risk. Instead, Yuuri watched Mercury, waiting for a chance, a moment his guard was down.

“Really? Huh. That was easy.” Mercury frowned, crossing his arms over his chest, “You know, it’s no fun is you just give up like—”

Yuuri’s fist met Mercury’s jaw putting all his strength into that one strike. Mercury wasn’t paying enough attention, wasn’t prepared for the hit. He stumbled backwards, but Yuuri was right there, reaching out, grabbing him by the lapels and shoving him against the wall. This was it. Yuuri had him. All he had to do was put the cuffs on him and get him to the station. Yuuri was about to do just that when he saw the colour on Mercury’s jaw, the colour that had bloomed on his skin where Yuuri’s knuckles had made contact. It wasn’t like a bruise. Instead, it was a bright turquoise like the sky, like Mercury’s eyes. Yuuri’s heart began to race, looking down at his hand and seeing the same colour on his knuckles. His stomach sunk. Yuuri let go of Mercury, his focus entirely on his hand as he tried desperately to wipe away the colour, but it was there. It was embedded in his skin. 

Yuuri had seen it before, but never thought it would happen to him. His father had a green mark on his arm, a mark where his mother had touched him for the first time. All soulmates had them. Their skin would be tainted with colour only on that one place where they had touched for the first time. Yuuri’s fist. Mercury’s jaw. Every other touch that had been exchanged as Yuuri attempted to stop him had been through fabric, but that punch… that had been skin meeting skin. That had been soulmate meeting soulmate. A bond greater than any other, and Yuuri had found it in a criminal, the criminal he was supposed to take down. Yuuri rubbed his thumb roughly against the colour on his knuckles, trying to make it go away, but he knew it wouldn’t. By the time Yuuri finally dragged his gaze from his hand, Mercury was already gone.


	2. Chapter 2

Azure. Cerulean. There wasn’t a word that quite did justice to the colour that was now stained into Yuuri’s knuckles. It reminded him of the beaches back home, the rich blue, the sea foam as the waves crashed over each other. There was something about that colour that was comforting. It was the same blue of Mercury’s eyes.

Yuuri’s soulmate was Mercury. His soulmate was a criminal.

It shouldn’t have mattered. Yuuri should’ve completely ignored it, he should’ve focused on his job and taken Mercury in. Instead, he got away, and Yuuri was left with more questions than answers and a permanent reminder of his failure. Who was Mercury? What did he look like under that mask? The mask only hid so much of his face, but it was enough for Yuuri to be unable to give a good description. Sparkling blue eyes, chiselled jawline. Tall, slim, Russian accent. Hair like moonlight. That’s all Yuuri had. There were some unique characteristics in there, but the city was big, and it wouldn’t narrow down the search very far.

What was his name? What made him turn to a life of crime? What did he sound like when he really laughed? Did his eyes always sparkle when he was amused, or was that a special moment shared between them in the dark of that hallway? Yuuri’s heart raced whenever he thought about him, staring down at the mark on his knuckles. He hadn’t ever considered having a soulmate before. It had never been something that he particularly cared about. Yuuri had always been preoccupied with work. A lot of people went their whole lives never meeting their soulmate. Or maybe they did, they simply never found out. It wasn’t common for someone to touch a stranger. So, Yuuri didn’t think about it. He went on with his life. He focused on keeping people safe. It was a job he loved, one he was good at. But, he didn’t think his line of work would ever lead to the discovery of his own bond with another; especially a bond with a criminal.

It wasn’t like the mark meant anything, really. It meant their souls were bound to each other, that fate had determined that they were meant to be with each other. That didn’t necessarily mean as lovers. It could be friendship. It could be just… the need to be close to each other. Yuuri had never bought into the idea of soulmates, the idea that fate had chosen for him to be with this one person. It felt so final. It felt like he didn’t have a choice in the matter. But, he did. He didn’t have to fall for Mercury. He didn’t have to want him. Hell, Yuuri didn’t even have to like him if he didn’t want to. Mercury was a criminal. All the time he’d felt a need to understand this case, all the begging he’d done to be given the chance to take it on, that hadn’t been because of a soul bond. Yuuri wanted this case to prove himself. Nothing more. 

Right?

Yuuri brushed his fingers along his knuckles, transfixed by the colour. He wanted to see Mercury again, to look into those eyes one more time before he cuffed him. Yuuri wanted to give him the chance to explain himself before he was thrown into jail for his crimes. A criminal is a criminal. He had to be punished for the things he had done, even if he did turn out to be a good person. Yuuri was sure that wouldn’t be the case, though. Mercury hadn’t shown any signs of being a good person. He robbed from the rich, that much was true, but he didn’t give back. If he did, he remained silent about it. He used people as hostages, and there had been a few incidents where he had assaulted people in order to make his getaway, though those were rare. Mercury wasn’t a good person. Yuuri was grateful. If Mercury was a better person, it would only make Yuuri’s job even harder.

Yuuri heard the apartment door opening before he saw Phichit walking in, hurriedly tugging his sleeve down to hide his knuckles. It was pointless, really. Phichit was his best friend. He knew when something was wrong, and he’d become relentless until he learned exactly what it was. That’s what friends were for, right? To bring out your wildest insecurities and try to fix them whether you wanted it or not.

Phichit dropped onto the couch beside Yuuri, sighing dramatically as he placed a bag of food on the table. It was probably cold. Yuuri didn’t mind. It was the thought that mattered. Stretching his arms out in front of him, Phichit groaned softly as he shifted his joints, “I get why you don’t take the call jobs. Some of those criminals can be so demanding.”

What was it Phichit had said that evening? Mercury hadn’t had any demands at all. He didn’t expect anything and he had no intention of hurting the hostage. All Mercury had wanted was to be chased. Was that why he’d brushed against Yuuri’s back in the hall? Had he really passed by and touched him just so that he could be chased out of the building? Why? Why Yuuri? Did he feel the need? Was it instinct, or was he really that reckless? 

“…And then a dog flew down from the sky and saved everyone.” Phichit watched Yuuri curiously as he concluded the story he’d been telling.

“Huh. Crazy day.” Yuuri muttered under his breath, fingers still brushing over his knuckles even with the fabric of his shirt covering them. His eyes were trained on his sleeve, teeth digging into his lip as his thumb moved in circles.

_ “Yuuri.” _

The only reason Yuuri tore his gaze away from his hand was because of Phichit’s tone. It was a tone that meant Yuuri was ignoring him. Yuuri tried to process what little he did hear. Something about a criminal with demands that Phichit couldn’t accept. That was about all Yuuri heard. “Did you uh, get him in the end?”

“I just told you, Yuuri.” Phichit frowned, “What’s up with you? You’ve been like this for a few days now.”

“Nothing.” Yuuri shook his head, leaning back on the couch and staring up at the ceiling. Everything was a mess. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do. No matter how much he loved his best friend, he was sure Phichit wouldn’t be able to find some magical fix for this one. Phichit hadn’t found his soulmate. He didn’t have the answers. There was no way for Phichit to tell him what he was supposed to be feeling, if the things going through his mind were normal. Even if Phichit had been through it all before, they were so different. Like two sides of a coin. There was no way Phichit would act exactly like he did.

Yuuri felt Phichit gently nudge his shoulder, “Is this about the other night? ‘Cause I’ve told you before, you’re not the first one Mercury’s gotten away from. He does this all the time, that’s why they wanted a pro like you on the case in the first place. You just need some time to learn how he works, but no one’s blaming you for what happened.”

“It’s not that.” Yuuri sighed. 

It was maybe partly that. Yuuri had made a rookie mistake. He’d let his guard down. He looked away, let himself get distracted. That was the only reason Mercury had gotten away in the first place. If Yuuri had ignored the mark on his hand, if he had focused on subduing the suspect, everything would be different. He would’ve had the chance to dwell on the consequence of the mark on his hand later. Now, he just had questions and no one to answer them.

“Well, what is it? You know you can’t keep secrets from me, Yuuri. You suck at it.” Phichit smirked.

Of course, he was right. Phichit would find out. Either Yuuri would give it away, or Phichit would snoop until he found the answer. There was no winning. Yuuri sighed, tugging his sleeve up his arm to reveal the soft blue splotches of colour that had become part of his skin. Yuuri wasn’t sure what he was expecting. Pity, maybe? Concern? But of course, Phichit didn’t have the full picture yet, so instead, Yuuri found himself with arms full of bubbly best friend. 

“Yuuri! Why didn’t you say anything!? Who is it? Do I know them? What are they like!?” Phichit was practically bouncing with excitement, holding Yuuri’s arm close as he traced a finger over his knuckles.

“You’ve… spoken to them. Once.” Yuuri mumbled.

“Well, what did you do, punch ‘em? You don’t exactly get into fights very often. Not quite the first impression you wanna make with your soulmate.”

Yuuri pulled his hand away, getting to his feet. He began a slow pace back and forth, wringing his fingers together nervously as his teeth dug into his bottom lip, “I didn’t ask for this, okay?”

Phichit frowned, “What’s the big deal? This is a good thing, Yuuri. You should be happy.”

“You don’t get it! I don’t want to be  _ his _ soulmate.” 

“Whose?” Phichit watched Yuuri curiously, freezing when reality seemed to dawn on him. Of course, he’d figure it out. He was a cop, he was trained to notice the little things. Phichit could put together when Yuuri had started acting strange and figure out the truth, “No…”

“Don’t.” Yuuri stared at the floor, defeated.

“Yuuri… you let him go?” 

“I didn’t mean to!” Yuuri defended, fists clenched at his sides, “I tried to stop him a-and I hit him, and then I saw the mark on my hand…” He took a shaky breath, voice quiet and helpless, “By the time I looked back, he was gone.”

“Yuuri, if this is true, you have to tell the chief.” 

“Are you kidding? He’ll take me off the case.” Yuuri clenched his fists at his sides, determination bubbling at the surface. This was his one chance. It took everything to convince the chief to put him on that case, there was no way Yuuri could throw it all away now. A soulmate made things more complicated, but it didn’t change anything. “Please don’t tell anyone. I swear I can do this.”

“I know you can do this, but that doesn’t mean you should.” Phichit got to his feet, crossing the room and resting his hands on Yuuri’s shoulders, “This is your soulmate. This is the person you could spend the rest of your life with. It doesn’t matter if it would never happen, you shouldn’t be forced to take away your own shot at happiness.”

“He wouldn’t make me happy.” Yuuri felt his heart sink. A part of him had wondered if Mercury would, if under different circumstances, they could be good together. But he couldn’t think about it. He couldn’t let himself think about Mercury as anything more than a criminal.

“You don’t know that. Tell me something. When you saw him, what was the first thing you thought?”

“I don’t know.” Yuuri frowned, shaking his head, “I just thought… he’s the suspect. I have to take him down. I can’t let him escape.”

Phichit smiled reassuringly, gently squeezing Yuuri’s shoulders, “No. When you  _ saw him _ , what was the first thing you thought?”

Yuuri knew what he meant, that there had to be a moment when Yuuri saw the man beyond the criminal, a first impression of him that completely disregarded everything he already knew. Yuuri looked away, his heart thundering in his chest as he thought about that moment, remembering exactly what went through his mind, “I… I thought he had the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen…”

“And you think you can arrest him like it’s no big deal?” Phichit raised an eyebrow sceptically.

Yuuri swallowed the lump in his throat as he nodded, “I can do it.”

* * *

“Victor, darling, don’t you think you’re a bit too excited about this?” 

Victor laid out across his couch, his Mercury mask in hand and a goofy smile plastered to his lips, “He was so strong. When he held me against the wall…” He slid from the seat onto the floor with a satisfied hum.

“Did you get me anything while you were out, or were you too distracted by detective handsome?”

Victor sat up in the middle of the floor, pulling a necklace from his pocket and holding it up in the light. The diamonds sparkled. It was one of the things that had made him want to snatch the necklace in the first place. He didn’t know how much it was worth. Frankly, Victor didn’t know how to tell a fake from the real thing. That was Chris’s job. He just grabbed what he could and hoped Chris would be able to make a pretty penny out of it. Whether or not he could didn’t really matter. Victor didn’t steal for the money. He had plenty of it. But, he knew Chris needed to make some money out of this.

“Is this good enough?”

Chris took the necklace from Victor’s hand, sitting on the couch as he carefully inspected it, “Should be. I’ll need to get my equipment to make sure it’s real, but it doesn’t look fake. Even if it is, it’s good enough to fool people long enough to get the money and get out.” Chris smiled, “Good find, chéri, you may continue swooning.”

Victor grinned, laying back on the floor and looking up at the ceiling, “I want to know everything about him. What he likes to eat, his favourite movies, what makes him laugh… do you think he likes dogs?” He froze as he realised, “I don’t even know his name.”

“Ah well, you’re in luck. That is information I can provide.” 

“No!” Victor held up a hand as if that would be enough to stop him, “I want to hear it from him.”

Chris laughed incredulously, “You think he’s just going to tell you his name?”

“Of course. I can be charming.” Victor smirked, brushing a hand along his jaw, still feeling the ache. He was too excited to care, “He’ll tell me his name. I just have to get him alone again.”

“How do you expect to do that? Victor. Darling. He’s trying to arrest you. You got away once, that doesn’t mean you’ll get away again.” Chris pointed out. Despite how much sense he was making, how interested he seemed, his focus was entirely on the necklace, inspecting every last gem.

“Don’t worry about the details. I just need you to send him a message for me, okay?”

“You’re putting my neck on the line now.”

“That’s what friends do.” Victor tried.

“That’s true. And while I do adore you, Victor, if I’m gonna risk my ass, you’re gonna need to sweeten the pot.”

“You can keep my cut from that necklace if you do this for me.”

Chris grinned, leaning back in his seat, “And sold to the lovesick fool.”

* * *

Yuuri had fallen back into routine. He’d been going through case file after case file, trying to find clues about who Mercury could be. Mercury was clever. He always wore gloves, never left any prints. What little Yuuri did know about his appearance wasn’t set in stone. That silver hair could be a wig. Those pretty blue eyes could be contacts. Did people even have eyes that blue? It would make sense for those to be contacts. All he did know was that Mercury always wore that suit and mask. He always made sure someone saw him leaving the scene of the crime. That did make sense. He seemed more interested in the chase than anything else, so he wanted to be seen at the crime before he left.

As for what he was going to do next, Yuuri couldn’t tell. Mercury went for all kinds of different targets. Admittedly, they were usually wealthy, but that didn’t say much at all when he was dealing with a thief. Obviously, he’d target the wealthy if he wanted to make the best profit. Then again, Mercury was clearly not doing it for the money. At least, money wasn’t his primary focus. That meant that there had to be some other reason he still sought out items that were worth a decent amount of money. He didn’t seem like the Robin Hood type. But, Yuuri couldn’t afford to make any assumptions about him. 

A knock at the door broke Yuuri from his train of thought, looking up to see an officer holding… a bouquet of white gardenias? Maybe he’d been working too hard. He probably needed to stop pulling all these all nighters if these were the kinds of things he was beginning to see. Yuuri leaned back in his chair as the bouquet was placed in front of him, staring down at it with furrowed brows, “What… is the occasion?”

The officer shrugged, “These were delivered for you. Secret admirer?”

Yuuri hesitantly reached out for the card nestled among the flowers, “Uh, thanks I guess.” The officer had already left by the time Yuuri was pulling the card from its envelope, turning it over to see a message left in neat handwriting just for him.

_ “You took my breath away with a single hit. I can’t imagine how pretty you’d be when you smile. - M” _

There was a heart scribbled in the corner of the note and Yuuri’s own picked up its pace when he saw it. Mercury. Mercury was sending him flowers. Mercury was writing him cheesy messages. Mercury was risking his neck to do something romantic. Yuuri had to admit he was a little jealous. He wished he had the guts to do something that risky. It was a good thing, though. It meant Mercury was willing to let his guard down. It meant Yuuri could find a clue, a moment when Mercury would inevitably slip up. And yet, that wasn’t the first thought to roll through Yuuri’s mind.

Instead, he was blushing, reading the message over and over, heart thundering in his chest. Was it just because of the bond? It had to be. A bond made people believe they had to fall in love. A false love. It wasn’t real. Yuuri hesitantly picked up the bouquet of gardenias, holding them close and breathing in their scent with a soft sigh. They were beautiful, if a little cheesy. He couldn’t let himself get comfortable. He couldn’t let himself feel anything.

It wasn’t the only bouquet to come Yuuri’s way. They kept appearing day after day with different notes, all of them cheesy and sweet. All of them from Mercury. They hadn’t been helping Yuuri at all, though. He wasn’t slipping up. Mercury was just saying nice things, no mention of where he’d been, what he was planning to do next. It was only serving to make Yuuri more and more flustered, and to fill his apartment with more and more flowers. He didn’t have the heart to throw them away, even if they did come from a criminal.

It wasn’t until nearly two weeks of flowers later that Yuuri finally got his opening. Another bouquet of gardenias placed at his desk, a shy smile painting his lips despite his best efforts to not be swayed by the actions of this ridiculous criminal. Yuuri pulled the next message from the bouquet and immediately, he knew what he had to do.

_ “It’s been too long. I want to see you again, Detective. Will you be at the upcoming Cialdini ball? I hear it’s a masquerade this year. You’ll save a dance for me, right? - M” _


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh I'm really glad everyone's been enjoying this so much. There's plenty more to come, and I can't for you guys to see this dysfunctional little relationship blossom!

It should’ve been obvious. Looking back on it, Yuuri wasn’t sure how he hadn’t thought of it before. The annual Cialdini ball was the perfect target for Mercury’s antics. It was an event that came around every year, one that brought together the richest members of the public for one evening. That meant that Mercury would have his pick of prizes in that building. It would be tricky. There would be plenty of security, but that hadn’t deterred Mercury in the past. There was just one problem. This year, it was a masquerade ball.

Mercury was going to be able to hide in plain sight. His mask would only help him blend in. Besides, that suit did make him seem like he’d come straight from a ball. He was going to be harder to find, and harder to catch. But, this was Yuuri’s chance. It was a chance to put an end to this quickly. Yuuri had officers scattered throughout the building, hidden as guests for the party. 

Cialdini had been surprisingly accommodating. Yuuri was expecting to have to fight for this opportunity, but the moment he’d explained the situation to Cialdini, he’d offered to help before Yuuri had even begun to explain the plan. The only stipulation was to at least attempt to do this quietly. Yuuri could understand that. Cialdini’s annual balls were an important business opportunity, a chance to make business relationships. It made sense that he didn’t want to leave his guests with a bad impression. 

Yuuri had been standing in the corner of a room filled with people far above his station for hours. He watched as they laughed over expensive wine and made small talk, occasionally exchanging business cards. As the time went by, some of the people would split off, moving to the center of the room to dance. Yuuri stayed quiet, vigilant as he watched, waiting to see something he recognised, but he hadn’t caught sight of Mercury. The wine flute in his hand had been for nothing but show. Yuuri knew what he was like with a few drinks in his system. Not now. No matter how bad his nerves were, he couldn’t afford to drink. 

This wasn’t Yuuri’s scene at all. The longer the night went on, the more he wanted to go home. He didn’t look good in a suit. His mask was beginning to make his face itchy. Yuuri had attempted to talk to the people at the party in the beginning, but didn’t know what to say. It quickly became awkward until he just gave up altogether. It was better to stay alone, anyway. He’d be able to watch without being distracted. If only Phichit was there. At least then maybe the night wouldn’t be dragging on so much. Why was Mercury taking so long? Was this just a test? A ploy to see if Yuuri would come running if he asked? Yuuri fell for the bait. But he had to, didn’t he? An opportunity to catch a criminal couldn’t be ignored.

Coat tails disappeared behind a group of strangers across the room. Yuuri hadn’t seen whoever it was, had only barely caught sight before they were gone. The first sign of Mercury. Maybe. Yuuri was bored and restless, and frankly, he’d jump at the chance for it to be something interesting instead of… this. Yuuri placed his wine flute on a nearby table, walking with purpose across the room. He had to see who it was, he couldn’t let them get away. 

A grip on his wrist stopped Yuuri in his tracks and tugged him back, “May I have this dance?”

“What?” Yuuri looked down at the hand on his wrist, then back in the direction of the suspect. He couldn’t cause a scene. He’d promised that much, but with each second, Mercury was getting away, “I uh, I can’t dance.”

The stranger chuckled, a low sound rumbling from his throat as his grip on Yuuri’s hand loosened just slightly, thumb rubbing gentle circles into the back of his hand, “Then I’ll teach you. I promise to be gentle. More gentle than you, I’d wager.”

Yuuri froze, his heart racing, butterflies blooming in his chest and a blush slowly staining his cheeks. That laugh. He knew that laugh. And as he turned to face the stranger, Yuuri recognised those eyes, too. “Mercury…”

“Detective.” Mercury pulled Yuuri’s hand to his lips, brushing a delicate kiss against his knuckles, “Just one dance. Surely you can spare a little time for me. I can’t imagine you came here for the company.”

That much was definitely true. Yuuri didn’t like being around these people. He could feel the judgment. They were better than him, they were worth more, they had better jobs. He just wanted to get this over with and get out. No scenes. It kept running through his head. He could grab Mercury’s wrist and slip the cuffs on him right now, but it would cause Cialdini problems. There had to be a more subtle way to do this. Maybe if he played along. Maybe he could pull Mercury aside and cuff him before he made his escape. 

It had nothing to do with the warmth Yuuri felt when Mercury smiled.

Relenting, he let himself be led to the middle of the dance floor, his breath catching as Mercury tugged him closer, his hand resting at the small of Yuuri’s back. Those gloves were still there, but Yuuri could feel the warmth all the same. He let Mercury lace their fingers together, trying to ignore how well their hands fit. Yuuri wasn’t sure what to do, why he was even humouring this. Keeping the peace shouldn’t have mattered if it meant taking down a criminal. But, he was still newly promoted. Yuuri was afraid to make too many mistakes. He had to be careful.

“I’m glad you came.” Mercury spoke gently, a hushed moment shared between them as they slowly moved to the music, “What’s your name? I can’t keep calling you ‘detective’ all the time.”

Yuuri glared as Mercury looked back at him with so much warmth in his eyes, “Why would I tell you my name?”

“Because even if you didn’t, I could do some research and find out myself.” Mercury smirked, leaning closer and whispering in Yuuri’s ear, “You tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine.”

Yuuri shivered, the butterflies in his stomach fluttering, soaring. His whole body felt like it was floating with Mercury so close, warm breath tickling at Yuuri’s neck. Focus. He had to focus. Mercury was just trying to get under his skin. Yuuri closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to steady himself. Think. He just had to think. Mercury was right. With a little research, it probably wouldn’t be that difficult to find Yuuri’s name. But, Mercury was offering up his own. And while it was true that Mercury could be lying, Yuuri didn’t have anything to lose.

Looking away, his eyes moved to their feet, watching the way they moved so easily together, “Yuuri. My name’s Yuuri, okay?”

A moment later, he felt Mercury moving their hands, brushing a finger under Yuuri’s chin to lift his gaze and look back into his eyes, “Yuuri. A lovely name. I’m Victor. It’s my deepest pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

It was the last thing Yuuri was expecting. He had figured Mercury would say something charming, attempt to distract Yuuri from finding out his real name. Of course, there was the chance he was lying. There was the chance Victor wasn’t his name at all. But Yuuri didn’t think he was lying. 

Mercury— no, Victor seemed to break away from the moment, realising their hands were still under Yuuri’s chin and moving them away to hold him in the proper dancing position once more. His chuckle was more shy than usual, “Sorry, I didn’t want to let go.”

Yuuri watched him curiously, spotting the blush that was blooming along Victor’s nose. His worst nightmare was being realised. Victor wasn’t just charming and handsome. He was completely adorable. This was going to be harder than he’d first thought. But maybe it meant that Victor could be reasoned with. At least right now, Victor seemed willing to listen. “You know, this doesn’t have to be so hard. If you come down to the station with me now, I’m sure I could get you a lighter sentence.”

“Maybe if I’d been given that offer a month ago. That’s impossible now. I’ve always done this for the thrill, you know? After a while, it got dull. But then you came along.” Victor smiled, shifting their bodies closer. Victor’s warm breath tickled Yuuri’s skin as he spoke, “A handsome, wonderful detective. The first to be able to pin me down.”

Yuuri let out a stuttering breath. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to pull away or move closer. Victor’s eyes were entrancing, that mask bringing out the soft blue. Those weren’t contacts. But they were gorgeous. Yuuri was sure Victor could feel his heart pounding. A sign of weakness he didn’t need at that moment. Enemy. Victor was the enemy, a criminal. He couldn’t let himself get distracted, “I-I um, I’m just doing my job. It’s my job to arrest you.”

Victor brought Yuuri’s hand to his face, resting it against the mark their soul bond had left on Victor’s jaw, “Hasn’t anyone told you? A soulmate bond is much stronger than any sense of right and wrong. You can feel it, can’t you? You might hate me right now, but you can’t shake this feeling that we could make each other happy.”

“That’s not true.” Yuuri pulled his hand away, shifting his gaze to their feet, “You only think that because it’s clouding your judgment. People get a soul mark and they think they have to change everything that they are and just accept that that’s who they’re going to be with. They think it’s fate, so they stop thinking for themselves and let it blind them.” Yuuri glared back at Victor and gritted his teeth, “You are nothing but a case for me and you are coming back to the station. Now.”

Yuuri didn’t know exactly why he was so angry. He was tired of being told that he had no choice in this. He was tired of being played with. The only reason Victor thought he cared at all was because of that stupid mark. If it wasn’t there, things would be different. Victor wouldn’t be trying to romance him. Maybe he’d be just as infuriating, but it wouldn’t be like this. It wouldn’t be so persistent.

The room had long since fallen away. Yuuri was in this moment with Victor, lost in it, ready to grab him and drag him away. Screw the promise he’d made, Victor was the target, the entire reason for being there. He couldn’t just leave empty handed and this was the closest he was ever going to get. It felt like Victor was all around him. His hand was at Yuuri’s back, the other moving to caress his cheek. And those lips, those tempting lips were on Yuuri’s in an instant.

Yuuri froze at first, not expecting the sudden touch. Victor’s thumb stroked tenderly against Yuuri’s cheek, the brush of their lips more hesitant, more gentle than Yuuri would’ve expected from someone who had seemed so confident before. Those lips tasted sweet, his touch was so welcoming. In that little moment, Yuuri’s mind seemed to shut down, his heart taking over. 

Pressing back, Yuuri reached out, letting his fingers tangle in Victor’s hair and oh god, it was so silky. Like literal beams of moonlight had been weaved together and Yuuri was given this wonderful opportunity to comb his hand through it. A soft sigh left his lips and Victor seemed to take that as permission for more, taking Yuuri’s bottom lip into his mouth. Yuuri wasn’t sure what it was. Heaven or hell? He was completely at Victor’s mercy, but he didn’t want to let go, pressing himself closer, his breath catching as Victor’s teeth grazed delicately over his lip.

Victor chuckled as he pulled away, voice gentle against Yuuri’s lips, “You don’t kiss like someone who feels nothing, Yuuri.”

By the time Yuuri broke from his daze, Victor was already gone. But he had more important things to worry about. The room around him was filled with rich business people, all of whom were slumped in their seats or against walls. The music was no longer playing, an eerie quiet left in its wake. Yuuri wanted to run, to find Victor and cuff him before he really did get away, but the safety of the public took priority. Rushing to the nearest person, Yuuri checked for a pulse, feeling a slow but steady heartbeat. Sleeping. He checked another, and another, but it was all the same.

While Yuuri had been entranced by the elusive criminal, the guests, the officers, everyone had drifted into a peaceful slumber.


	4. Chapter 4

Yuuri knocked hesitantly at the door, glancing down at his hand as he did. He’d taken to wearing gloves to hide the mark on his knuckles. Thankfully, no one had asked him about it yet. He was already feeling like a mess because of the ball. It wasn’t something Yuuri wanted to talk about. Or even think about. But, he’d been called to the boss to do just that. Two mistakes so far. He’d let Mercury get away twice. It wasn’t a good look for anyone, let alone a newly promoted detective. No wonder his boss wanted to see him.

Yuuri peered into the room, “Um… you wanted to see me, Lieutenant Nekola?”

“Yuuri!” The lieutenant sat up, smiling brightly as he gestured to the chair in front of him, “How’re you doing? Please, take a seat.”

There was a positive to messing up as badly as Yuuri had. His boss was one of the nicest guys Yuuri had ever met. It was unlikely that he’d be reprimanded too badly. Still, Yuuri was upset enough with himself for the both of them. Moving into the room, Yuuri wrung his fingers together nervously as he sat down, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. He’d messed up. He knew he had. And he really wasn’t sure how he could talk his way out of it. There were no excuses.

Nekola looked down at the papers in front of him, letting out a sigh, “Look. Yuuri, you know I’m not very… good… at this stuff.”

Yuuri looked up, catching that look in Nekola’s eyes. He’d seen it before. That was a look that cried out for help. He really wasn’t good at this. Yuuri couldn’t quite imagine him actually doing this, so it was interesting to see him put in this position. Yuuri offered a smile that didn’t meet his eyes, “Why don’t you just go through the report, lieutenant.”

“I’ve told you, just call me Emil.” 

“Right. Emil.” It felt strange on Yuuri’s tongue. He was so used to the formalities, slowly climbing the ranks and carefully talking his way around his superiors along the way. Nekola really was a completely different kind of boss. Not that Yuuri was really complaining. “Just… go through the report, and I’ll fill in the gaps.”

“Alright.” Emil looked back to the papers in front of him, trailing a finger along the lines as he read, “So, you got an anonymous tip,” he looked up to confirm with Yuuri as he spoke, “that Mercury was going to be at the Cialdini ball?”

“Correct.” Yuuri nodded. It wasn’t completely untrue. He didn’t know who Mercury was. The message might have come from him, but it might as well have been anonymous.

“You got a group of officers together to stake out the party.”

“With permission.” Yuuri added, glancing down at the paper. He couldn’t quite see what it said, but he wished he could. He needed to know how bad it was. Emil was a good guy, too kind to tell him how bad it really was, “I spoke to Cialdini personally and made sure he knew exactly what was going on ahead of time, and he knew there would be police disguised as guests for the night.”

“Smart.” Emil nodded to himself, “So, you waited.”

“Right.” 

Emil leaned back in his seat, “I’m gonna need you to tell me what happened next.”

“What?” Yuuri blinked, looking down at the paper again, frowning, “That’s all you have?”

“The security systems were tampered with while you were there.” Emil explained, “There’s no CCTV. As far as what actually happened in that party from this point, we’re completely in the dark.”

“Oh.” Yuuri shouldn’t have been glad. He shouldn’t have been so relieved that there was no footage. No one saw the kiss. Right? When Yuuri came back down to earth, everyone around him was asleep. But, how long had they been asleep? Was he off the hook, or would he only get in even more trouble if he tried to withhold the truth? 

“Listen, you’re not in trouble. I mean… I guess you kinda are, but you know I’m not a hardass or whatever, I just…” Emil trailed off, running a hand over his face, “Just tell me what happened.”

“I don’t know exactly…” Yuuri looked away, staring down at his hands as he wrung his fingers together, “I was waiting for a long time. I started to think maybe he wasn’t going to show up. And then I caught sight of these coat tails that looked like Mercury’s.”

“And you pursued the suspect?” Emil offered.

“…Right.” He wanted to. That was the plan. The plan was to go after the suspect and pin them down, but Mercury had pinned Yuuri down before that could happen. And then that dance happened. And that kiss… 

“Did you catch up with him?”

“No, I wasn’t able to.” Yuuri looked back at Emil. It was obvious he cared, that he was only interested in learning the facts. Yuuri felt so guilty keeping things from him, but he knew how much more complicated this would get if Emil knew the truth. If anyone found out he was Mercury’s soulmate, he’d be taken off the case. Yuuri couldn’t afford to let that happen. This was his case. He’d worked too hard, been through too much. He’d prove to Victor, to Mercury, that he could do this, that this soul bond meant nothing.

“Okay, so what happened after that?”

“I… chased after the guy for a while. Eventually, I gave up and came back to the main hall and that was when I found everyone sleeping.”

Emil frowned, looking back at the papers, “That’s it? One of our officers said they saw you dancing with someone before they lost consciousness.”

Yuuri’s heart leapt to his throat. He’d been caught in a lie already. Of course, someone had seen him dancing with Victor. It hadn’t exactly been subtle. He should just tell the truth, admit he was lying, that he was maybe possibly compromised, and that he probably shouldn’t be on this case… but Yuuri wanted this case. He wanted to be able to say he could defy a stupid soul bond, that it meant nothing even when it was beginning to feel like everything.

Yuuri looked away, a blush staining his cheeks, “Oh that. I-I didn’t mention it because I didn’t think it mattered. I told Cialdini we wouldn’t cause a scene. When someone asked for a dance, I couldn’t exactly turn them down without causing trouble, so I went along with it.”

Emil nodded, “And after that, you went after the suspect?”

“Yes.” Yuuri nodded, staring at the desk in front of him, “I know I made a mistake, but I was so sure I could catch him.”

“So, what happened?” Emil asked curiously, tilting his head to the side as he watched Yuuri, “I’m not blaming you, Yuuri. I just want to know how he got away.”

“I… got distracted.” Yuuri admitted, sighing sadly, “I messed up. It was my fault.”

Emil seemed to stay quiet for a moment. The silence only served to make Yuuri feel uneasy. This wasn’t a situation he’d ever found himself in. Yuuri didn’t make mistakes. Not like this. He didn’t get distracted, and he didn’t let anyone get under his skin like this. Yuuri had worked his way up, had done everything he could to get where he was, and that meant avoiding mistakes. The fact that he was already messing up so badly on his first case only made him look worse.

Emil looked down at the papers in front of him, tapping his finger against it, “Look, you’re a good guy, Yuuri, and you’re a great cop, but this is the second time you’ve let Mercury get away because you got distracted.”

Yuuri nodded sadly, “I know.”

“If it happens again, you’re gonna leave me with no choice. I’m gonna have to take you off the case.”

“You can’t!” Yuuri got to his feet, resting his fists against the table with determination in his eyes as he looked up at Emil, “I can do this. I can catch him. This is _my_ case.”

“I don’t want to. But, I put you on this case. Every time you mess up, that comes back to me. The longer I leave you on this case, making mistakes, the worse it’s gonna be for both of us.”

“I won’t make anymore mistakes.”

Emil smiled, “That’s all I needed to hear. Don’t let me down again.” He held his arms out, tilting his head to the side as he eyed Yuuri, “Hug it out?”

Yuuri simply frowned, unsure of what to do. Emil hadn’t been his boss for very long, but he was certainly different. It was becoming more and more difficult to predict what he was going to do next. Yuuri’s experience had been much older men and women, all of whom wouldn’t tolerate the simplest of mistakes. Emil was just as kind as he was strange.

“Right. Boundary noted.” Emil let his arms fall to his side once more, holding up a fist towards Yuuri a moment later, much more tentatively.

Yuuri stared at Emil’s hand, then to Emil’s face and back again, hesitantly reaching out and tapping his fist against Emil’s. 

"You're not the only one in trouble. All those officers who fell asleep had to have been drinking on the job to have been affected by Mercury's drug. This mistake wasn't all on you." Emil reassured, glancing down at Yuuri's hand after a moment, “When did you start wearing that glove, anyway?”

“Uh, I hurt my hand during that fight with Mercury that night with the hostage.” Yuuri pulled his hand back, rubbing the other over his knuckles absentmindedly, “It’s not a big deal.”

Emil nodded, “If it keeps causing you problems, go get it checked, okay? Don’t need you running around with a broken hand because you’re too stubborn to take care of yourself.”

“Yes, sir.” Yuuri chewed his lip as he looked back up at Emil, “Was there anything else you wanted?”

“That’s all for now.” Emil moved around his desk, wrapping an arm around Yuuri’s shoulders as he guided him out of the room, “Try not to stress too much today. Focus on the facts, try to figure out where he’s gonna strike next. We’ll work out where to go from there.”

The walk back to his office felt slow. It felt like everyone was watching him, talking about him. Yuuri had one of the biggest cases on his hands when he took on the elusive Mercury, but he was sure people expected better. He had a good track record. He should’ve been doing better work. This whole case should’ve been resolved by now. Yuuri wondered what people were thinking about him. Maybe they thought he was losing it, that he had lost his touch. Yuuri was starting to wonder himself. Normally, he’d never let anyone get to him like this. Mercury… Victor, he had a habit of getting under Yuuri’s skin.

Phichit was already waiting for Yuuri in his office. Yuuri simply walked by him, dropping into his chair and resting his head against the desk with a sigh.

“Got you some coffee.” Phichit offered.

“You know I don’t drink coffee.” Yuuri’s voice was muffled into the wooden finish.

“Everyone drinks coffee after the week you’ve had.” Phichit tapped his finger against the table in front of him, “How’d it go?”

“One more chance.” Yuuri rested his chin on the desk, looking up at Phichit, “If I let him get away again, I’m off the case.”

Phichit rested his cheek in the palm of his hand, propping his elbow on the table as he watched Yuuri, “What even happened, Yuuri? You don’t make mistakes like this.”

“I know.” Yuuri whined sadly, “I didn’t… I wanted to catch him. I thought for sure I had him. And then he was kissing me and his lips were so soft and his arms were so warm and I could feel his smile. He has such a pretty smile…”

“Okay, slow down.” Phichit leaned back in his seat, eyebrows raised, “He  _ kissed _ you?”

“Yes.” 

“Did you kiss back?” Phichit smirked.

“No.” Yuuri looked away, chewing on his lip, “Yes. Maybe, I don’t know!” He buried his face in the desk, groaning sadly.

“You like him, don’t you?” Though Yuuri wasn’t looking at him, he could tell Phichit was grinning like the unhelpful friend he was.

“No!” Yuuri glared up at him, “It’s this stupid soul bond thing, it’s messing with me. When he’s around, I feel… different.”

“Yeah, that happens when you like someone, Yuuri.” Phichit clasped his hands together, resting them on the table as he leaned forward, “Would you like my advice as a fellow cop, or as your friend?”

“…Both.”

“Well, as a cop I would say to ignore your feelings and that a criminal is a criminal. You’ve got a job to do.”

Yuuri sighed sadly. He knew it was true. He had to stop getting so distracted. He had to stop letting Victor do this to him. No matter who he was, Yuuri had a job to do. No matter how handsome and charming Victor was, no matter how much his heart raced when they were together, they could never be anything. It would be stupid to even contemplate it.

“But, as your friend…” Phichit continued, “I’ve never seen you like this, and I think that maybe he could be good for you. And it would be a bad idea for you to just write it off because of a few bad things he’s done in the past.”

“And the present.” Yuuri pointed out.

“Maybe he’d give it up if someone special came into his life…” Phichit patted Yuuri’s head, “Just think about it. Don’t be so quick to dismiss it.”

* * *

Victor was dancing in circles around his apartment, a dopey grin on his face as he thought back to that evening. Dancing with the detective. Yuuri. What a wonderful name. Victor liked saying it. It rolled off his tongue in just the right way. Yuuri. _Yuuri_. Victor sighed dreamily as he twirled, dipping an imaginary partner. He wished he’d dipped Yuuri. Victor could only dare to imagine the look on that pretty detective’s face if he had. 

Things were going better than he’d expected. Of course, Yuuri was playing hard to get. Yuuri pretended he wasn’t interested, but Victor was sure he could break that away. It wasn’t that he wanted to force this. No, Victor could feel it in that kiss, could see it in the way Yuuri blushed when they were together. Yuuri felt it, too. He just had to stop denying himself.

“Having fun?” Victor was broken from his happy daydream, looking up to see his best friend watching from across the room with an eyebrow raised.

“When did you get here?” Victor asked curiously, pulling his imaginary partner back to their feet and dancing slowly around the room once more.

“A couple minutes ago.” Chris wandered into the room, taking a seat on the couch as he watched Victor twirling like a lovesick teenager, “I take it you had a good time at the party.”

“He was right, he’s a terrible dancer.” Victor grinned, wrapping his arms around himself, “But it was enough just to hold him and sway a little.”

“That’s nice, dear.” Chris tapped his finger against the arm of the chair, “What did you bring home for me this time?”

Victor stumbled, looking back at Chris with surprise in his eyes, “You wanted me to bring you back something?”

“Victor.”

“Chris.” 

“You’re telling me you broke into the most expensive party of the year and left empty handed?”

“Wrong.” Victor smiled proudly, “I broke into the most expensive party of the year and left with a kiss.”

Chris stared back at Victor, a look on his face that Victor couldn’t quite decipher. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good. “I can’t believe you.”

“Just let me explain.” 

Chris rolled his eyes, “He’s a cop.”

“His lips tasted like honey.” Victor tried, eyes glazing over for a moment as he went back to that wonderful moment in his mind.

“Not just any cop, a _detective_.”

“And he was so angry, but it was kinda hot, you know?” 

“The detective that’s trying to arrest you.”

“And he acts like he doesn’t want it, but that kiss… I know I can talk him around, I just need some time.” 

“Victor, he’s going to lock you up and throw away the key.”

“Yeah well… maybe I’d like that.” Victor sighed, dropping to the couch beside Chris.

Chris pinched the bridge of his nose, “I know, chéri, but kinks aside, this is only going to end badly.”

“You don’t know that.” Victor stared at the floor. He knew Chris was probably right, but he wasn’t ready to give up. Not yet, not so soon. Not when Yuuri had shown some interest, whether he had wanted to or not. There was something there, something between them. Even without the bond, Victor knew he would’ve been just as drawn to Yuuri. How could he not be? He was cute, smart, determined. He was exactly Victor’s type.

“I’m not trying to be a buzzkill. And you know I’m the last person in the world who would deprive you of a little action. But this… this is too dangerous.” Chris rested his head against Victor’s shoulder, “Is a little fumble in the sheets worth risking everything? There are plenty of other people you could spend the night with.”

“It’s not just some fun for a night, Chris.” Victor brushed a finger along his jaw, ghosting over the mark Yuuri had left behind, “He’s my soulmate. And even if he wasn’t, I feel different around him.”

“Different how?” Chris asked curiously.

The question hung in the air. Victor wasn’t sure at first how he should answer it. There were a lot of things that felt different because Yuuri had walked into his life. He hadn’t picked Yuuri to entice into that hallway the first night they met. It was just random chance. But life had a funny way of making things work like that. 

Victor hummed softly, “He makes my heart race. He challenges me. He excites me in a way nothing ever has before. I feel like… I’d steal the stars from the sky for a chance to see him smile.”

“So, you’re going to spend the rest of your life with him? White picket fence and a poodle?”

“Is that so out of the question?” Victor snapped, frustration finally spilling forth, “Don’t I deserve a little happiness?”

“Of course you do, but that wouldn’t make you happy.” Chris’s eyes fell to the mask sitting on the table across the room, “You like danger. You want excitement. A happy ending with a cosy house and a regular job would just hold you back. You’d get bored with him.”

Victor frowned, voice quiet, “He’d get bored of a life like that, too. The life we’d make together would be more exciting.”

“Maybe.” Chris conceded.

“I need you to send him another message.”

“Victor…”

“But you have to be more subtle this time. No more messages to his office, I don’t want to get him in trouble.” Victor held up a small box, “Come on, I promise I’ll bring you back something nice and expensive this time.”

Chris stared at the box for a long moment, rolling his eyes as he took it from Victor’s hand, “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

* * *

Yuuri could feel those arms around him, warm and comforting. His own arms wrapped around himself, letting himself imagine and indulge as he slept. It had been a long day. A long day in a long week. Yuuri had been going through every case file he could find on Mercury, determined to learn everything about him. Yuuri needed to be able to predict Mercury’s movements. His arms wrapped tighter around himself, a soft sigh escaping his lips as he slept. Victor’s arms had been warm and strong. They probably would’ve been so nice to fall asleep in. 

“Yuuri!”

“Mm Victor?” Yuuri blinked sleepily up at the disturbance. He rubbed tiredly at his eyes sitting upright on his bed just as Phichit dropped a box in his lap, “What’s this?”

“Don’t know.” Phichit shrugged as he walked out of the room, calling out to him, “Dreaming about loverboy?”

“Shut up!” Yuuri blushed, staring down at the box for a long moment. He hadn’t ordered anything. Even if he had, the box didn’t have his address on it, just his name. It was hand delivered. Whoever sent it had to know exactly where Yuuri lived. 

It could be dangerous, could be anything. Hesitantly, Yuuri held the box up to his ear, listening closely. No ticking. No sound at all. If it was a bomb, it was a silent one. That didn’t mean it wasn’t dangerous. There were plenty of things that could be inside. But who would send him anything dangerous anyway? The only person who had been sending him things was Victor, and they were all sweet. Normally, it was flowers. This was clearly something different.

Opening the box, Yuuri pulled out a shiny silver pair of brass knuckles. They were thick enough to take up most of Yuuri’s knuckles when he wore them, gemstones adorning the edges. It looked expensive, but beautiful. Yuuri wasn’t sure how anyone could use something so valuable. Placing it on the bed beside him, Yuuri pulled out a card, turning it over to see the familiar handwriting.

_ “Paid for with good money, I promise. I thought you’d like something to improve your killer right hook. Thank you for an enchanting evening. The very sight of you tempts me so, and I can’t stop thinking about those sweet lips. We must meet again. Thursday evening. Baranovskaya. I shall steal for you the greatest prize. - M” _

Despite his best efforts, Yuuri was smiling as he read the note, a finger pressed to his lips as he was brought back to that kiss, that wonderful moment that belonged only to them. Victor was a dork, a hopeless romantic. Finding the strength to stop Victor and punish him for his crimes was going to prove more difficult than Yuuri had first expected.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh thank you guys so much for all the positive feedback. It makes me so happy that you're enjoying this story.
> 
> Things are about to get very interesting in today's chapter!

Yuuri was starting to wonder why he went along with Victor’s messages. They were sweet and dorky, and looked like something straight out of a cheesy romance novel, but they also led Yuuri to jobs he really didn’t like. Maybe it wasn’t Victor’s fault. Maybe it was just the nature of the case. Victor was a thief. That meant Yuuri was forced to deal with the wealthy. And that meant dealing with people who often thought they were better than Yuuri, or at least that Yuuri wasn’t worth wasting any time on. It wasn’t something Yuuri enjoyed. It almost made him not want to help, but this was his case. This was the case he’d begged for.

“I still don’t understand the need for all of this security.” 

Yuuri looked up from his notepad filled with all the things he wanted set up before nightfall. The woman before him had an air of superiority to her. An ex-prima ballerina, she gave Yuuri the feeling that she was certain she knew what was best for her and that nothing he said would be able to change her mind. Still, he had to attempt to explain. After all, she clearly wasn’t pleased with the amount of police roaming the museum. 

“Miss Baranovskaya. We have reason to believe that the focal point for the museum, your tiara, is the next item Mercury wishes to steal. It’s important that we make sure that doesn’t happen. Surely you understand.”

“My tiara has been the centerpiece for this museum for years, detective. There has never been an attempt to take it. The security in this building is already tight and the safety of all the pieces here is assured. Do you really think the security for my tiara would be any less perfect?” She raised an eyebrow, almost daring Yuuri to disagree.

Yuuri sighed, looking back to his notepad, “If it’s really that safe, then surely having a few police roaming the building isn’t going to hurt.”

“Your presence is only going to cause rumours about the security of the building.”

“So, tell people that you’re helping us.” Yuuri tried, “We came to you asking for your help to create a trap for Mercury.”

Miss Baranovskaya seemed hesitant, but eventually relented. That was how Yuuri ended up wandering the halls of the museum. Everything had to be perfect. This had to work. Victor said he was going to be there, and Yuuri was willing to believe it. After all, it worked last time. Yuuri didn’t have any more chances, though. This was it. If Victor got away this time, he’d be off the case. Yuuri felt a little uneasy just thinking about it. This was his case. This was his soulmate. He was the only one who was allowed to take Victor in.

There were a handful of police in every room, surveillance cameras keeping a close eye on the tiara. Yuuri was wandering from room to room, making sure everyone was in place and on guard. They couldn’t afford to take this lightly. Mercury had gotten away every time. He was smart, he was good at this. But Yuuri was sure that he could be better.

* * *

Victor smiled to himself as he watched Yuuri move from one room to another. Yuuri’s brows were furrowed, sleeves rolled up his arms. Victor didn’t want to admit how disappointed he was that Yuuri was wearing gloves, hiding the mark on his knuckles. If only he’d wear it proudly. Victor supposed he could understand, though. He had to hide the mark on his jaw with makeup when he wasn’t wearing his mask. Too conspicuous. It was something that pointed too easily to him. Maybe it was the same for Yuuri. He had to hide it for them to keep him on the case. And oh, how perfect it was to play this game of cat and mouse with Yuuri. No one else had ever made it so exciting.

Yuuri had certainly made things challenging for him. The building was crawling with police. Victor wanted a moment alone with Yuuri. This was going to prove more difficult than he had first thought. Stealing Yuuri away had been easy every other time, but this was different. Yuuri was constantly on the move, constantly around other officers. It would be harder for Victor to get Yuuri to be himself around them. Victor knew Yuuri was pushing himself to be what was expected of him, to follow the rules. Yuuri would be much more open if it was just the two of them.

Victor had managed to get into the building and was slowly making his way from room to room, narrowly avoiding being spotted as he did. His aim was security. If he could get the cameras unattended and mess with the power, he would be home free. It was by no means going to be easy, but Victor knew it would be worth it. This was sure to impress Yuuri if he could just pull it off. The building felt like a maze, but Victor had done his best to memorise a map before he dared enter. Two lefts and straight down the stairs. He was so close to his destination. 

How angry would Yuuri be? Would he frown in that cute way he always did or would it be more sexy, more livid? Victor couldn’t resist, a shiver running down his spine at the thought. He had to wrap this up quickly and make his way to Yuuri. The sooner he could get Yuuri all to himself, the better.

It was surprisingly easy to get into the security room. There was only one officer on duty there, and they were focused so much on the cameras that they didn’t seem to notice Victor’s presence. Perfect. Victor knew he had options. He could do this violently, could knock out the officer and get his way, or he could be more sneaky. Victor wasn’t sure Yuuri would appreciate the violent approach. It wouldn’t be any good to leave Yuuri with the wrong impression. Victor certainly didn’t want Yuuri thinking he was some brute. It seemed Victor would have to be a little more creative if he wanted to get his way. He smirked to himself. Yuuri really was making things a lot more fun.

* * *

It felt like Yuuri had walked through the museum a dozen times that night. Things had remained quiet. It was just as Miss Baranovskaya had said; the security in place was impressive. It was no wonder no one had bothered to attempt a robbery. Victor would definitely be fool enough to try it, though. Yuuri just wished Victor would hurry up and do it. The anticipation was what was killing him. Was it anticipation to see Victor again, or to put an end to all this? Yuuri couldn’t be sure. He wanted to believe it was the latter, but he really didn’t know anymore. 

His heart raced whenever he thought about Victor, his mind running back to that kiss. Had Victor planned it? Had he done it just to put this uncertainty in Yuuri’s head? Yuuri had to stop thinking. He had to focus on the task at hand. If Victor was going to really do this, then there was no way he was escaping. Yuuri had put officers everywhere. That along with the building’s already high security meant that victory was assured. 

Still, Yuuri was feeling anxious. Every moment that went by with nothing happening left Yuuri wondering where Victor was, what he was up to. What was he planning? Yuuri was sure he was becoming nothing more than a nuisance. He had gone from room to room so many times, asking the same questions over and over just to make sure everyone was prepared. He was a distraction. He wasn’t helping. Yuuri took a shaky breath, walking down the empty halls and away from the other officers. He needed to give them space. If he kept getting in the way, Victor would use it against them. 

Yuuri stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for the top floor. He could go to security, could keep a watch on the cameras. It wouldn’t make him any less anxious, but it would be something to keep him occupied and out of the way. He had to trust in his officers. It would be enough just to keep watch for them, to warn them if he saw anything strange.

Yuuri yawned, leaning back against the wall of the elevator. How late was it? All these late nights reading files, searching for clues, waiting for Victor to show up were taking their toll. Yuuri couldn’t wait for it to be over. Soon. Soon he could have Victor taken down to the station and have a nice full night of sleep. For now, he had to stay vigilant. 

The sound of his phone ringing broke Yuuri from the never ending stream of concerns running through his mind. He sighed, pressing the button, “Any news?”

“One of the rooms on the left wing has lost power, sir.” 

Yuuri frowned, “Wait, what? Did you call security?”

“We didn’t get any response.”

“What about the tiara, is it safe?” The panic was beginning to set in. Victor was striking, it was now or never. This all meant too much. 

“We haven’t heard anything here, you were the first person we called.”

“Alright.” Yuuri ran a hand through his hair, “I want you to make your way over to the tiara. I’m heading to security now.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Stay on guard.” Yuuri slipped his phone back into his pocket, his foot tapping impatiently as he waited for the elevator to reach the top floor. It was taking too long. Everything was taking too long. Every second mattered.

What was he going to do if he did come face to face with Victor? What was the plan? Yuuri did have his gun, but that hadn’t helped all that much the first time they’d met. Besides, he had no reason to shoot. Victor wasn’t actually a danger. Yuuri knew Victor wasn’t going to hurt him. It wasn’t about hurting people. It was just about thrill. Victor had made that clear. It almost made Yuuri wish he didn’t have to arrest Victor. He didn’t want to hurt people. But, technically he was still breaking the law. Yuuri had devoted himself to that law since he was a kid. The law had to come first.

Yuuri looked up as the elevator stopped. There were more floors to go. He knew there was no way he would’ve reached the top already. But the officers were all stationed. The only ones he’d ordered to move were staying on the same floor. The doors slowly rolled open and Yuuri’s heart leapt to his throat, “Victor…”

Victor stood in the doorway, his mask glittering slightly as he shook the silver bangs from his eyes, “I’m glad I caught you, detective.”

His voice was warm and sweet like hot cocoa. Yuuri felt comforted just hearing it. Focus. He had to stay focused. Pulling his gun from its holster, Yuuri pointed it at Victor, trying to sound as stern as he could, “Hands where I can see them.”

Victor scoffed, stepping into the elevator and pressing the button for the bottom floor, “You’re not going to shoot me, Yuuri.”

Yuuri’s grip on the gun tightened, gritting his teeth as the elevator door closed. He was right. Yuuri knew he was right. He sighed, slipping the gun back into the holster, “This has to end. I have to arrest you.”

“Have to?” Victor smirked, raising an eyebrow, “So, you don’t really _want_ to?”

“Don’t twist my words.” Yuuri stepped closer, “Where is it?”

“What, this?” Victor pulled the tiara from behind his back, holding it up in the light as he admired it.

“Hand it over.”

“Or what?” Victor chuckled, carefully placing the priceless tiara atop his head, “What do you think? Does it suit me?”

Not really. Victor’s mask glimmered just fine without the tiara attempting to take the spotlight. The peridot gemstones didn’t compliment Victor’s soft blue eyes at all, and if Yuuri was honest, the shade of silver in Victor’s hair was a lot nicer than the silver of the tiara’s base.

Yuuri stepped closer still, reaching out, but Victor took the tiara from his head and held it out of reach. Yuuri gritted his teeth, “Give it to me right now and I won’t add it to your list of charges.”

“Make me.” Victor dared.

Yuuri knew Victor wasn’t going to give up. Yuuri would have to fight to get that tiara back. But how? He already knew that he and Victor were evenly matched in a fight, that Victor was more than capable of defending himself. And if Yuuri wasn’t careful, he could just end up breaking that tiara. He had to think differently. He had to think like…Victor. What would Victor do? Well, that was probably obvious. Victor would kiss him. He’d distract Yuuri all over again. It was a stupid, ridiculous idea, but those were the ideas that seemed to work when Victor was around.

Throwing caution to the wind, Yuuri closed the gap between them, It wasn’t the same as the kiss as they danced. That one was slow, exploring, but this was intense, filled with passion and frustration. Yuuri reached blindly for Victor’s hand, trying to grab the tiara, but Victor still kept it out of reach. Yuuri growled into the kiss, biting roughly at Victor’s lip and earning a soft moan in response. That sound shouldn’t have caused his heart to race like it did, it shouldn’t have had Yuuri wanting more, but his mind was wandering, wandering to all the other sounds Victor might make.

Victor’s free hand cupped Yuuri’s face, so gentle even as passion took over and Yuuri suddenly felt himself shoved against the wall, the breath knocked out of him from the sudden movement. His eyes opened, but Victor didn’t dare move away, so close, their bodies pressed together, and Yuuri couldn’t remember a time he’d felt like this. He looked up at Victor through his lashes, fingers gripping at the front of his shirt, keeping him close. 

Victor’s lips brushed along Yuuri’s jaw to his neck, breath hot against his skin, “Was that to distract me, or did you just want another kiss?”

“Victor…” Yuuri bit his lip, tilting his head to give Victor better access to his neck.

Victor’s hand moved to Yuuri’s hip, peppering kisses along Yuuri’s neck as he spoke, “Because darling, you have until we reach the ground floor to do whatever you want with me.”

Yuuri shifted back against the wall, taking in Victor. He’d put the tiara in a bag at his side. It’d be difficult to get it now. But that wasn’t what was on Yuuri’s mind. Not now, not with Victor so close, with this feeling overwhelming him. Victor was right. Something about this feeling he got when he was around Victor made it hard to think about right and wrong. Victor was a criminal. Victor was a bad person. Yuuri wanted him desperately.

Victor’s smile was sweet, enticing. Yuuri loosened his grip on Victor’s shirt only to loop his arm around Victor’s waist, pressing their bodies flush against each other, “I could arrest you right now.”

“So, do it.” Victor smirked, his lips ghosting against Yuuri’s.

So enticing. Everything about Victor seemed to pull Yuuri in. They were made for each other. That’s what anyone would say. A soulmate bond meant that they were supposed to be together. Yuuri had always hated the very thought. The idea that he had no say in who he fell in love with didn’t sit right with him. The idea that the person he ended up with was only with him because some twisted fate told them they had to be together weighed on his mind. Would Victor even want him if it weren’t for those stains on their skin? Or had he just deluded himself into believing this was real because it was easier than defying fate?

But, Yuuri could feel it. He’d tried to hard to defy it. He’d wanted to ignore this pull and do his job, but Victor was special. Yuuri didn’t know what it was. He didn’t want to believe it was love. It couldn’t be. He didn’t even know what Victor looked like beneath that mask. But Yuuri’s heart raced when they were together. He longed for the moments he’d see Victor again. He couldn’t deny it no matter how much he wanted to. But maybe it was okay just this once. Maybe he could indulge this momentary fantasy. He had Victor confined. He just had to make sure Victor didn’t leave.

Yuuri closed the gap between them, the fingers of his free hand tangling in Victor’s hair. It was wrong. He knew it was wrong, but it felt so right to be in Victor’s arms, to kiss him, to touch him. A groan left Yuuri’s lips as Victor’s tongue explored his mouth. More. He needed more. It was a fleeting moment that he had to make the most of. Yuuri tugged gently at Victor’s clothes, untucking his shirt and letting his hand wander beneath the fabric. Abs. Victor had abs. Of course he did. His skin was so warm and the soft sound of approval that left Victor under Yuuri’s touch sent a thrill through Yuuri. It felt so good, so natural. Like they really were made for each other. It was so easy to get lost in the moment, in each other.

As Victor’s hands moved along his body, Yuuri pressed himself closer, nibbling at his bottom lip. Victor’s leg moved between his own and it took all Yuuri’s self control not to take the bait, gasping as Victor squeezed his ass, using his hold as leverage to pull Yuuri closer. It was so much. So much more than he expected. Yuuri was so lost in it, in Victor. Yuuri tugged at Victor’s hair, whining softly as he felt Victor’s hands drag under his shirt and along his back. It would be too much to strip right then and there. Right? Yuuri couldn’t shake the feeling that there was too much between them, too much getting in the way.

And then Victor was pulling back. Yuuri followed Victor’s lips, seeking out that warmth, but Victor kept moving back, breaking Yuuri from his daze. Victor licked his lips, letting out a satisfied hum as he grabbed his bag, “Sorry, detective. This is my stop.” 

Victor was already turning away, moving to step out of the elevator when Yuuri grabbed his arm, “Wait.” He didn’t know when the elevator had stopped. Yuuri hadn’t noticed. He only knew that Victor was about to leave with that tiara and it would be the end of his career. But Yuuri wasn’t even sure if that was why he was trying to stop Victor anymore. Even more than his desire to keep his job, Yuuri was filled with dread at the very thought of Victor leaving his side, “Please. Don’t go.”

Victor watched Yuuri curiously. He didn’t move. Reluctantly, Yuuri looked up at him. He could see the contemplation in those eyes. Victor was really considering staying. But just as that thought crossed Yuuri’s mind, Victor was cupping his cheek, pressing one last tentative kiss to Yuuri’s lips. Victor’s voice was gentle against Yuuri’s skin, “Don’t worry. I promise we’ll see each other again.”

Before Yuuri could say anything, Victor was gone. He slid do his knees in the middle of the elevator, staring at the floor. He let Victor get away. Again. His hands shook, teeth clenched as tears welled in his eyes. Weak. Why was he so weak? It was just a mark on his skin but he couldn’t resist that pull. He couldn’t resist Victor. And now, everything was falling apart.

  
  



	6. Chapter 6

Yuuri stared at the floor, fists clenched in his lap. He could hear Emil talking, but it felt like white noise as his mind raced. He knew this was going to happen. He knew he’d end up messing up. Of course, Yuuri hadn’t wanted to. He hadn’t wanted to let Victor get away. But then again, he could’ve stopped Victor so easily. Their hands were all over each other, Yuuri had grabbed his wrist and stopped him before he left, but he hadn’t kept him there. Yuuri let go. He couldn’t even blame that on Victor distracting him. He wasn’t in the moment anymore. Why had Yuuri even tried to stop him? Was it because he needed to arrest him? He wanted to believe that was what it was, but Yuuri knew there was something more. He wanted Victor to stay because he missed him, because he didn’t want Victor to disappear from his life. Yuuri didn’t know if he’d ever see Victor again. And that thought was heartbreaking. So, maybe everyone was right. Maybe Yuuri wasn’t able to resist the pull of his soulmate.

“Yuuri?”

“Huh?” Yuuri looked up at Emil, “Sorry, I… what’s my new case?”

Emil sighed sadly, sliding a folder across the table, “Don’t look at me like that, Yuuri. You know I don’t want to do this.”

“I know.” Yuuri picked up the folder, flipping it open and frowning, “Car theft?”

“This should be easy for you.”

“You mean boring?” Yuuri chewed his lip as he read through the file. It seemed simple. Easy. Yuuri was pretty sure he’d have the case solved by the end of the week. But it wasn’t going to bring him nearly as much excitement as Victor did. 

Emil smiled sympathetically, “It’s an easy win for you, which means you can bounce back from this. You’re a new detective and the last thing I want is for Mercury to ruin your career. Giving you something simple means you can impress and get harder cases again.”

Yuuri nodded, getting to his feet, “Can I just… I need to know…”

“Don’t beat yourself up over this. It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, it does.” Yuuri insisted, “I just want to know who you’re giving Mercury’s case to.”

“I don’t know yet.” Emil admitted, “I gave you that case because you’ve got an amazing track record. If you couldn’t do it, then I don’t know who can.”

“Then let me keep trying.” 

“Yuuri.” Emil attempted to sound stern.

“Alright, alright.” Yuuri sighed, “I won’t let you down again.”

* * *

As it turned out, it took Yuuri no more than two days to have the case mostly solved. It was easy to tell that the thief had a type. There was a particular brand of car that they seemed to be going for, a brand that went for a lot of money, but Yuuri felt was a little tacky. It was the kind of car that was all about the price tag and had no real substance to it. Victor wouldn’t have dared steal something so boring, so tasteless. Victor would’ve made it more interesting.

The case was boring. Yuuri knew all he’d have to do was figure out who owned similar cars in the town and stake them out. Eventually, the criminal was going to strike again, and that would be when Yuuri could make his move. He didn’t need anyone’s help for this one. In fact, if he had anyone else helping him, it could only make it more difficult. 

At least when he chased Victor, there was something to it. Even the waiting was more interesting. Yuuri always felt like there was something he needed to be doing, he always felt like he needed to be on guard, but not this time. This criminal wasn’t smart. This criminal wasn’t fun. Yuuri hated it.

Yuuri stretched out in his car, watching the bait across the street. It wouldn’t take long. The good news was that this thief seemed to have a taste for a unique car type. It meant that the criminal didn’t have a lot of options in the town. Yuuri could safely assume the car in front of him was the next target. If only they had been kind enough to give Yuuri a time and date for their thievery. Victor would. Victor always did. And Yuuri always ended up with his heart racing at the very thought of seeing Victor again. That excited feeling just wasn’t there for this case.

One thing Yuuri knew he was going to miss would be those moments alone, those moments when Victor would pull him away and Yuuri would lose himself to the pull of his soulmate. But even without Victor there, he still felt it. Yuuri missed him. He missed the feeling of their bodies pressed together. It was so strange that someone he barely knew, someone he hadn’t even seen without a mask had such a strong hold over him. Yuuri had tried so hard to fight it, but maybe everyone was right. Maybe there was no way he could defy the pull of his soulmate. Yuuri didn’t even care if he would never be able to arrest Victor. It wasn’t about that anymore. Yuuri just wanted to see him again. But, he wouldn’t. He couldn’t. This wasn’t his case anymore. Maybe if he was lucky, he’d get to visit Victor once he was caught, but that wouldn’t be the same. The moments they’d had, Yuuri had to hold onto them and let them be enough.

Yuuri’s head was resting against the car window as he watched someone walk into the area. They were in a back street, away from prying eyes. Yuuri hadn’t seen anyone since he arrived. He watched curiously. It was hard to tell any significant features from so far away. Yuuri would have to get closer if he ever wanted to describe this person. But it wouldn’t come to that. Yuuri wouldn’t let it. He kept waiting and watching as they moved towards the car, but it didn’t mean anything yet. Maybe it was just the owner. If that was the case, Yuuri was going to have to find another tacky, expensive car of the same brand. 

Yuuri frowned as he watched. A minute passed. Then another. And another. Yuuri sat upright in his seat, trying to get a better view. As the minutes passed, it felt more and more wrong. If this person owned the car, they could simply unlock it and drive away, but this person seemed to be struggling. They seemed skittish, occasionally looking over their shoulder. Yuuri stretched his limbs before stepping out of the car. He’d seen enough. It was time to act.

* * *

“This is a nightmare.” Victor whined sadly, hugging a pillow to his chest.

“You’re kidding, right?” Chris held the tiara up to the light, inspecting the gemstones, “Do you have any idea how much money this will sell for?”

“I don’t care.” Victor grumbled.

Chris had dealt with a lot from Victor over the years. He’d seen Victor at his worst, but this really was a new one. Everything recently had been new. Victor didn’t normally let people get to him like he had been with the detective. This was never about anyone. Victor had only ever been interested in the thrill of the chase, the thrill of getting away with something. The only reason Chris had ever gotten involved was to sell the things he stole. It was good money for both of them, though Victor often took smaller amounts than Chris wanted. He didn’t like being in anyone’s debt, but Victor never cared about how much money he could make. 

Suddenly, things were different. Suddenly, Victor wasn’t planning out his crimes in terms of how much fun he could have. Instead, he was trying to see a certain detective, trying to impress him. Chris wasn’t entirely sure how that one worked. Could he really impress a detective by committing a crime? Somehow, that seemed counter-productive, but there was no telling Victor that. 

Chris dropped to the ground in front of the couch. He didn’t look up from the tiara, “Dare I ask what’s wrong?”

“He’s been running around chasing some… cheap car thief.” Victor buried his face in the pillow, his voice muffled, “Cars!”

“Okay…” Chris leaned back, looking up at Victor, “There are a lot of criminals out there. You can’t expect him to be exclusive to you.”

“But, that’s the thing.” Victor barely lifted his head, “He hasn’t been working on my case at all.”

Chris frowned, shifting and turning until he was facing Victor. He reached out and traced circles on the pillow with his finger, “I know it might be hard to hear, Victor, but you’ve kinda made his life a living hell. Maybe he just doesn’t want to work on your case anymore.”

“You don’t understand.” Victor whined, “The way we kissed, the way he held me… the way he grabbed my hand and begged me not to go…”

Chris raised an eyebrow, “You think a kiss is going to make him forget that you two are enemies?”

“You didn’t feel it. You didn’t see the way he looked at me. Being with Yuuri, it’s different. Who we are doesn’t mean anything when we’re together. That last time we were together was special. It wasn’t like before. Something… changed.”

“Maybe that’s why he hasn’t been messing with your case?” Chris tried.

“But that means he’s giving up on any time we could have with each other.”

“Well, relationships need communication. Maybe you should just ask him what’s going on.”

* * *

Yuuri shoved the criminal into the police station, gesturing for an officer to take them away. It hadn’t taken long. The chase had been minimal, and this particular criminal didn’t seem in shape enough to run for long. If Emil had wanted to make Yuuri look good, this really was the case for it. There wasn’t much Yuuri could have done to mess it up. If he had, Yuuri would’ve given up his badge right then and there. There was still paperwork. There was always paperwork. That was the easier part. 

Yuuri could’ve gone straight to Emil and asked for another case, but he wasn’t sure that was a good idea. He’d been enough of a problem already, he could wait another day. It just meant he could go home early for a change. After so much mess for the last few weeks, it would be nice to get a proper night of sleep.

“Detective Katsuki?” Yuuri was just picking up his bag from his office when he heard an unfamiliar voice at his door.

He didn’t recognise the officer. Tall, thin. Pale skin, dark hair and blue eyes. A darker blue than Victor’s, but he seemed friendly enough. When had Yuuri started comparing people’s features to Victor’s? Yuuri gestured for the man to step inside, “How can I help you?”

“It’s about Mercury.”

Yuuri froze, looking down at his desk for a moment. He had expected there to be no more talk of Mercury. Since he’d been taken off the case, only a few days had passed, but it was like Mercury didn’t exist anymore. Yuuri stopped hearing about it. People stopped asking him about it. It was like those few weeks of his life had never happened. The only reason Yuuri knew they had was the mark on his knuckles, the gifts that had been sent to him so many times. 

“What about him?”

“I understand you were previously in charge of his case.” 

“Yes…?” Yuuri frowned.

“I’m uh, Detective Popovich, the case has been reassigned to me.” The detective smiled apologetically, “I know it might be a difficult topic. It’s never easy when you get a case taken away from you, but I was hoping you could give me any information you can.”

It felt like a punch to the gut. The case really wasn’t his anymore. Of course it wasn’t. A part of Yuuri had hoped Emil would change his mind, but this was the only thing that made sense. Too many mistakes. Victor wasn’t his responsibility anymore. Still, to be asked to just hand over all his hard work to someone else felt wrong. This was Yuuri’s case, Yuuri’s soulmate. Yuuri gritted his teeth, trying to keep his emotions in check, “You’re kidding, right?”

“In the end, we both want the same thing. If I have more information, we can catch this guy. And if you’re worried about me taking credit for your work, I promise I’ll make it clear that you played an important role in this.”

Yuuri stared at the papers on his desk. Did he really want Victor caught? He’d told himself from the beginning that that was exactly what he wanted, that it was in the best interest of everyone, but the more time he’d spent around Victor, the more he dreaded losing him. Victor had a hold of him that he couldn’t deny. It was better that he wasn’t on the case anymore, that someone who wasn’t compromised could take care of it, but that didn’t mean Yuuri wasn’t bitter. Victor belonged to him. Yuuri was the only one who was allowed to arrest him.

But that wasn’t a problem. Victor wouldn’t let anyone arrest him. Yuuri didn’t have anything to worry about. Victor was clever enough to get away from him time and time again, and he’d be clever enough to escape from this detective, too. Sifting through the files on his desk, Yuuri pulled out a folder and handed it over to the detective, “Everything you need to know. All the details about the attempts to catch him, all the information on his MO. Have fun.” 

Before the detective could say anything more, Yuuri was walking out the door. Maybe it wasn’t fair. He’d never met the guy before and he did seem nice enough. Yuuri just hated knowing that his case was in someone else’s hands. He hated knowing that he’d failed. He’d proven himself so many times, but when it really mattered most, he hadn’t been able to do it. Yuuri just wanted to go home, to stop thinking about it and move on with his life. It seemed like life really didn’t want him to forget.

Stepping out of the station, Yuuri looked down at his phone. It was a few hours earlier than he normally left, but he’d done his job and it was already getting dark. Emil wouldn’t begrudge him one early evening. It was out of the corner of his eye that he saw it. Something moving into the alley by the station. Coat tails. Yuuri’s heart picked up its pace. He was seeing things. He had to be seeing things. Was it wishful thinking? There was no way Victor would be reckless enough to waltz right up to the police station. Then again, the more Yuuri thought about it, the more it sounded exactly like something Victor would do.

Maybe it was curiosity, maybe it was the desire to see Victor again. Whatever it was, Yuuri felt compelled to follow much like he did the first night he met Victor, the night their marks had been created. It was a quiet evening, there wasn’t anyone around. Yuuri was alone in that alleyway. He was beginning to think maybe Victor had taken too big of a hold on him. Maybe he just hadn’t been getting enough sleep. That’s what he needed. Sleep. Yuuri sighed, just a little disappointed as he turned back.

The wind was knocked out of him, breath leaving his lungs as his back collided with the wall.

“Hello again, darling.” Yuuri felt the familiar warm breath against his neck, his wrists held back against the wall by gloved fingers. 

“What’re you doing here?” Yuuri fought the urge to let himself be claimed right then and there, instead pushing Victor away. He scowled in Victor’s direction, “Come to turn yourself in?”

“Is that what you want?” Victor smirked, the gems on his mask glistening as he tilted his head. 

Was that what Yuuri wanted? Not really. Not now. It made him a little sick to think Victor would wait until Yuuri was kicked off the case and then turn himself in. He’d been so adamant about this soulmate thing, yet he would reward Yuuri with the ultimate betrayal?

Yuuri scoffed, stepping towards the parking lot, “Do what you want.”

“Wait.” Victor gripped Yuuri’s wrist, tugging him back. His arms encircled Yuuri’s waist from behind, holding him close as he whispered in his ear, “You felt it in that elevator. How good we could be.” Victor’s hand moved up Yuuri’s stomach, gently gripping his shirt and sending shivers down Yuuri’s spine, “And now you’re chasing after some car thief? Do I have to start stealing cars for you to notice me, Yuuri?”

Yuuri couldn’t contain his laughter, nor the bitter edge to the sound, “Steal what you want, I won’t be the one chasing you.”

Victor’s hands dropped from Yuuri’s body, “What?”

Yuuri wasn’t sure if the sadness in Victor’s voice was real. Did he actually care that much? He’d been stealing long before they met. It wasn’t as though Victor was going to all this trouble for him before, so why did it matter so much now? It didn’t. This didn’t matter. Victor would get back to his life of crime, one day this new detective would catch him, and they could move on with their lives like none of this ever happened. Right? It didn’t sit right with him, though. Victor wouldn’t let this random detective catch him. Yuuri would be furious if he did. This was his. No one was allowed to catch Victor. Victor belonged to him, and only he could be the one to take him in. 

When had he become so possessive?

“I’m off your case.” Yuuri turned to face Victor, arms crossed over his chest, “You’re not my problem anymore.”

“But, I only want to be _your_ problem.” Victor stepped close again, finger brushing under Yuuri’s chin and tilting his head up to look in his eyes, “I’m sorry. You’re the last person I want to hurt. But, if I let you catch me, we couldn’t be together like this. You understand, right?”

Yuuri felt like he was floating, like he was hypnotised. His whole body pressed closer without a second thought. Because this was Victor. Because this was his soulmate. There was a part of him that thought about dragging Victor into that police station and ending it all right there, but he knew Victor wouldn’t let him. Victor would slip away. He always did. It was becoming pointless to think about ways to catch Victor when he could just enjoy the moments they had together instead. Victor wasn’t his problem anymore. That meant he could simply enjoy being in his presence, right?

Yuuri reached out, hesitantly resting a hand on Victor’s chest, “Do you think soulmates have to fall in love?”

It was a question that had been plaguing Yuuri since this had begun, the question of whether Victor would’ve given a damn if not for those stupid marks on their skin, those marks that meant nothing at all. His feelings for Victor didn’t stem from a stain on his hand. His feelings appeared because of Victor. Stupid, reckless, passionate, wonderful Victor. If he was going to fall for a criminal, he wasn’t going to let a soul bond take the credit.

“No.” Victor hummed happily, resting a hand at the small of Yuuri’s back, “But, I think in our case, there just might be something to it.”

“What did you think that night we met?” Yuuri asked curiously.

“I thought… wow. He’s really cute. Strong, too.” Victor chuckled, “And I thought things were about to get a lot more fun.”

“That’s all this is? Fun?” 

“Of course not, darling.” Victor let out a content sigh, his eyes falling shut as their heads rested together, “I missed you so much these last few days.”

“I… me too…” Yuuri didn’t want to admit it. He didn’t want to think about how lonely he felt when Victor wasn’t there, but things had changed. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was so much happier when Victor was around. Even when Victor was driving him completely crazy, Yuuri would catch himself smiling. He’d find himself longing for the moment they’d be together again. Why did life have to be so complicated? Why did Victor have to be a masked criminal?

“Can I kiss you?” 

It was a lot more polite than every other kiss they’d had. Victor had never actually asked before. Yuuri didn’t bother to answer, instead reaching out. He cupped Victor’s face in his hand, closing the space between them. It was so much more gentle than the other kisses they’d shared. Every other time had been driven by desire, by passion, by anger. This was something else. Maybe Yuuri was finally giving into his feelings. Maybe he was finally starting to let Victor in. It was scary. It was terrifying to think that maybe he was falling in love with someone who would eventually be behind bars, that this, all of this, would be temporary. But, maybe that was why he wanted to make the most of the time they had.

Yuuri was distracted from the kiss when he heard the sound of metal clicking against metal. He pulled away just enough to see the cheeky smile on Victor’s face, frowning, “Victor…?”

“I’m sorry, darling. I can’t risk you trying to follow me.”

“Wha…” Yuuri went to reach for Victor with his free hand only to find it kept firmly in place with the help of a handcuff. A handcuff that had been locked into place with a pipe against the wall. Yuuri tugged roughly on the cuff to no avail, groaning in frustration, “Victor!”

“I’ll see you again very soon.” Victor promised, pressing a kiss to his forehead. He held up the key, placing it on the floor just out of Yuuri’s reach before he made his escape.

What had Yuuri gotten himself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, I think maybe Yuuri might have a little bit of a crush.


	7. Chapter 7

A bouquet of gardenias were dropped into Yuuri’s lap. He smiled, knowing immediately who they were from and ignoring the long suffering look on Phichit’s face; the look of a man who had been forced to be Mercury’s mailman for too long. “This is getting out of hand, Yuuri. The neighbours are starting to look at me weird. And the apartment looks like a flower shop.”

Yuuri plucked the card from among the flowers. He pulled the bouquet into his arms, carefully nuzzling into them and breathing in the familiar scent as he read the note aloud, “_ ’My Yuuri, do you ever think about the future? I’d like a poodle one day. A dog to pamper and teach tricks. To fall asleep every night with you and a dog. Our own little family. Do you like dogs, Yuuri?’ _”

Phichit raised an eyebrow, “You guys are talking about getting a pet together now?”

“He’s so cute.” Yuuri murmured under his breath, reading through the note over and over again.

“So, do we not care that he’s a wanted criminal now that you’re not on the case?” 

Yuuri looked up from the note, frowning, “Are you judging me right now?”

“Of course not.” Phichit dropped his bag at the front door, wandering over and plucking the flowers from Yuuri’s hands. “Come on, you’ve got to admit that’s what this looks like.”

Yuuri pouted, looking down at the note, “He’s not my responsibility. And I know that he’ll just keep getting away. At least with the way it is now, he can’t ruin my career anymore.”

Phichit opened a cupboard, pulling out a vase and carefully placing the flowers inside, “If anyone found out that you were sleeping with a criminal and doing nothing to stop him, it’d do more than damage your career.”

“I’m not sleeping with him!” Yuuri blushed, pulling his knees to his chest and resting his chin against them, “And I did try. Every time I thought I had him cornered, he’d find a way to escape. I wasn’t trying to let him go, you know that.”

“Was this before or after you finished playing tonsil hockey with him?” Phichit smirked as he spread the flowers out in the vase.

“Weren’t you the one who said I can’t fight fate!?” Yuuri snapped, sinking back into the couch. He knew Phichit was right. Of course he was right. Victor wasn’t a good person. He was a criminal who belonged behind bars. Yuuri had told himself that so many times, but he still couldn’t help himself. When he and Victor were together, things felt right. 

“I did say that.” Phichit admitted, placing the vase in the sink and filling it with water, “And you said that fate isn’t real.”

“I did.”

“Are you saying it _ is _ real?”

“Of course not.” Yuuri dug his teeth into his bottom lip, wringing his fingers together nervously as he spoke, “It’s this… magnetic pull. I can’t resist him. At first, I thought I could and I was so angry with myself for giving into it when he got close, but…”

“But…?” Phichit’s voice was quiet, as if afraid he’d break Yuuri from his thoughts and the truth would be lost forever.

“Then the nights I’d stay up reading files or planning for the next stake out, I’d feel… lonely.” Yuuri sighed softly, looking down at the note resting on his thigh, “And I’d wonder if he missed me. I’d look forward to seeing him again. I’d always try to catch him, but it didn’t matter if I did anymore. Just as long as I could spend a little time with him.”

“So,” Phichit placed the vase back on the kitchen counter, rounding the couch and dropping down beside Yuuri, “You think you’re in love with him?”

Yuuri’s blush grew deeper, “I don’t know. He tells me things about himself, but I’ve never really had a proper conversation with him.”

“Is he worth risking everything for?”

“Phichit…”

“No, I mean it.” Phichit shifted himself closer, “I don’t care what he does. Crime is a…fluid thing. In a decade, we might not consider what he’s doing a crime at all. I care more about who he is and if he’s going to treat my best friend right.” Yuuri looked around the room at all the flowers that had begun to slowly pile up. It seemed to be enough of a hint, causing Phichit to smile, “Okay, he pampers you. That’s definitely a plus. He’s still doing it even though you’re off his case, so we know it’s not just his way of distracting the guy trying to catch him.”

Yuuri stretched out his limbs, laying his legs across Phichit’s lap, “You’ve been thinking about this a lot, huh?”

“Duh, it’s my job to take care of you.”

“So, what do you think I should do?” Yuuri asked curiously.

“I don’t know. I think you have to figure this one out. I want you to do what makes you happy, but what you two have right now… this can’t be permanent. This kinda relationship has an expiration date.”

Yuuri frowned, staring at the ground. It was something that had run through his mind so many times. If he did give into his feelings for Victor, if he did just let himself be happy and enjoy this ride, it wouldn’t last. There would be a point for it to all come crashing down. Maybe Victor would get caught. Maybe they both would. Maybe Victor would have to run across countries to get away when the police get too close to discovering who he really is. Whatever it was, it meant that they wouldn’t be together anymore. Was it really worth giving up everything for something so temporary?

Did it have to be temporary?

After a long silence, Yuuri muttered under his breath, “I don’t even know what he looks like under that mask.”

“Oh man, what if he looks like a potato?” Phichit mused, “Yuuri made out with a potato.”

Phichit’s laughter was muffled as Yuuri hit him with a throw pillow.

* * *

Sending Yuuri gifts was fun. Victor enjoyed coming up with new notes, new things to tell Yuuri about himself. Victor had begun to run out of ideas, though. It was hard to hold a conversation with someone when they had no way to respond. Victor wanted to learn more about Yuuri, too. Though their attraction couldn’t be denied, Victor wanted to be sure they were just as compatible emotionally as they were physically. That meant learning about Yuuri, learning the things he loved, the things he hated, the things he wanted for the future. Victor needed some time with Yuuri. But, Yuuri wasn’t on his case anymore. Victor had to resort to something a little different to find time for them.

Yuuri still hadn’t been on his case. Even after he had caught the car thief, he moved onto other criminals. Victor had stolen a few things in the meantime, but it just wasn’t the same. Things had begun to feel stale before Yuuri came along, and now that he wasn’t able to plan his heists around meeting Yuuri, everything just felt so dull and pointless. He needed to spend more time with Yuuri and that meant following Yuuri’s lead in a way he never expected he would.

The street was relatively quiet. Victor had to be thankful for that, at least. He was so used to being out only in the dark of night, to blend into the shadows. His suit and mask were conspicuous at the best of times. During the day where everyone could see him only made it worse. But, Victor had been watching and waiting, and unfortunately, Yuuri’s newest subject was stupid enough to commit his crimes in the middle of the day. It wasn’t just a risk for this guy, it was a risk for Victor as well. The things he did for love.

The silence of the street was broken by the sound of rushed footsteps. One, then another. A chase. This was what Victor had been waiting for. Victor was stood at a corner, back against the wall as he waited for someone to run by. The footsteps got louder, louder, and suddenly there was a figure racing by. Victor reached out, grabbing the stranger’s arm and quickly pinning him to the floor.

“What the hell are you doing!?”

“Nothing personal.” There was no sincerity in Victor’s voice. This was personal. Of course it was. This was a criminal that Yuuri was chasing instead of him. This was another criminal that was taking up all of Yuuri’s time when he could instead have been focusing on Victor. This was personal. The guy may have had absolutely no idea that it was, but that didn’t change the fact that Victor wanted Yuuri all to himself and he hated that it wasn’t the way it used to be anymore.

It was a matter of seconds later that Yuuri was rushing around the corner, surprise in his eyes as he practically barreled into Victor. 

Victor laughed, “I’m sorry, darling. I would’ve caught you, but I have my hands full.”

“Are you… stealing criminals now?” Yuuri raised an eyebrow, looking Victor up and down for a moment before pulling a pair of handcuffs from his pocket.

“Depends. Are those for me or for him?” 

“Which would you prefer?” Yuuri smirked, kneeling beside Victor and slipping the cuffs onto the criminal’s wrists. Yuuri’s eyes never left Victor’s even as he did it and Victor hadn’t expected to be so turned on by something so simple. Yuuri was teasing him. Yuuri was actually teasing him.

Victor got to his feet, carefully straightening his suit as he cleared his throat, “Have you uh, have you been getting my gifts?”

“Of course I have.” Yuuri pulled the perp to his feet, dragging him back in the direction of his car, “Phichit told me to tell you to stop with the flowers.”

It was a strange sight. There he was, walking in broad daylight with a cop who was dragging a criminal towards his car. Yuuri should’ve been arresting both of them, but he wasn’t. Then again, Victor didn’t really know what Yuuri was planning to do once he got back to his car. Maybe things would change. But Victor could enjoy this little moment of luxury, this time at Yuuri’s side.

“Your friend knows about me?”

“You think I could keep you a secret from my roommate after all the gifts you’ve been sending?”

“…Good point.” Victor smiled sheepishly, “I’ll only stop sending them if you want me to stop.”

Reaching the car, Yuuri opened the back door, guiding the criminal into the backseat with practiced ease. He closed the door, turning back to Victor and leaning against it as he pretended to think, “I like the notes. I like learning about you.”

“To figure out exactly who I am so you can hunt me down?” Victor teased.

Yuuri looked away, a blush creeping onto his cheeks, “I like learning about you. Not just the identifiable stuff, everything.”

Victor closed the distance between them, resting his hands on Yuuri’s hips, “I want to know everything about you.”

Yuuri fit perfectly in Victor’s arms. Fate really was a funny thing. Victor only half believed in it, but when he had Yuuri close like that, when he thought about how happy he was when he was holding Yuuri, it all felt like fate. Because there was nothing in the world that felt more right than this did. Though Chris’s warnings were in the back of his mind, Victor couldn’t shake the feeling that this was right, that he and Yuuri were meant to be together.

“I can’t really send you notes like you do for me.” Yuuri’s smile was shy, sweet. He reached out, gently gripping Victor’s vest between his fingers. Tufts of dark hair fell into Yuuri’s eyes, his pretty eyes framed by his blue glasses. Wow, he was cute. Adorable, really. Victor didn’t stand a chance. Yuuri’s lips were nearly on his, their breath mingling together when he finally spoke, “I should be arresting you right now.”

“Yeah? You’ve got an extra pair of handcuffs?” Victor teased.

Yuuri reached into his pocket, hooking a cuff on his finger and holding it up. He said nothing. He didn’t need to say anything. He knew he’d gone and one upped Victor once again, and Victor knew he shouldn’t have been surprised. Of course Yuuri kept himself prepared for these kinds of circumstances. 

Victor sighed dramatically, “I suppose that means I should make my daring escape.”

“Or you could just turn yourself in.” Yuuri shrugged.

“Is that what you want me to do?” 

“As a police officer, I couldn’t possibly comment.” Yuuri brushed a finger slowly along Victor’s chest, looking away as his voice went quiet, “I’d be just a little offended if you went to so much trouble to make my life a living hell only to hand yourself in.”

“Yuuri…”

Victor knew it was true. Chris had said it, Yuuri had said it. Every time he pulled a stunt and made a dashing escape, he was hurting Yuuri. He hated it, really. Victor had been messing with Yuuri’s life. But, Victor knew he couldn’t just give in. If he had let Yuuri catch him even once, he’d be behind bars, and they wouldn’t get to be together like this. Victor couldn’t let their time together end so soon.

“It’s fine. But now you’re not my problem, I don’t want you getting caught. Because if anyone’s going to arrest you, it’s going to be me.”

“So you _ are _ going to arrest me?” Victor noted.

“One day.” Yuuri confirmed.

“But not today?”

Yuuri seemed to consider the question for a moment. His fingers dropped from Victor’s chest, eyes closing, “Ten… nine… eight…”

A countdown. A chance to run before Yuuri would be forced to go after him. So long as Victor was out of sight, he was sure Yuuri wouldn’t even bother trying to catch up to him. Or maybe he would. Victor wouldn’t have minded a chase. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Yuuri’s cheek, feeling his smile beneath his lips before he made his escape.

It became a routine for them. Victor would find out who Yuuri was on the hunt for, would wait for the chase, and would help Yuuri catch them. It was all for those little moments they would get to spend together, those little times when he could hear Yuuri’s laugh. But Victor knew it wasn’t enough. They never got more than a few minutes together. He wanted so much more. Victor wanted Yuuri to himself, the ability to ask him everything. 

Victor knew exactly what he had to do.

* * *

It had been a long day. Hell, it had been a long week. Several long weeks, in fact. Yuuri had caught many a criminal and was doing a good job in redeeming himself. He was still unsure how he felt about Victor’s case. Yuuri wanted the time he could get with Victor, but he knew that it was temporary. And if their time together was temporary, Yuuri wanted to be the one to put an end to it. For now, though, things were as normal as he could really hope for. Victor had taken to helping him catch criminals. He still sent Yuuri gifts, and he still made headlines with his thievery. It was a strange feeling to be so smitten with someone in one moment, but hate the things they did in the next. Victor was better than crime. Victor shouldn’t have been hurting people.

It was late when Yuuri got home. The sun had already well and truly set, but he knew Phichit wasn’t there yet. Phichit had been called away on an emergency case. He had the apartment to himself. Yuuri was ready to fall straight into bed. Hanging up his jacket, he was about to take the gun and holster from his belt when he heard a sound on the balcony. No one was meant to be there. A raccoon maybe? It wasn’t very likely. Maybe a bird or a cat. Yuuri had been doing well with his arrests recently, though. He couldn’t quite shake the feeling that maybe he’d been upsetting the wrong kind of people. 

Pulling his gun from its holster, Yuuri slowly stepped towards the balcony. The silence in the room was deafening. He didn’t know what he should expect, what he should do. Yuuri had been through so many situations, but they had never been right at his door. Carefully, he slid the door open, aiming his gun in front of him.

Yuuri was met with nothing. The balcony was just as he had left it with one little difference. Resting over a chair was a jacket. Yuuri frowned, stepping forward and brushing his fingers hesitantly over the dark fabric. It wasn’t Phichit’s. Yuuri had never seen Phichit wearing anything so fancy, and it certainly wasn’t Yuuri’s. In an instant, Yuuri was pressed against the wall, familiar hands resting on his hips, warm breath tickling at his skin.

“Hello, darling.” Victor’s smooth Russian accent sent a shiver down Yuuri’s spine.

His heart was still racing with the adrenaline, the fear quickly subsiding as he realised who it was he was with, “Jesus Victor, I nearly shot you!”

Lips brushed along Yuuri’s jaw, delicate kisses so feather light and Victor’s hand was suddenly pressed over Yuuri’s mouth, “Shh. I’m here to steal you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally time to reveal the incredible art [Cerise](https://twitter.com/OpaleDeFeuAC) made for the fic! It's so pretty I love it so much! Please please go and support Cerise, and be sure to like and retweet [her post](https://twitter.com/OpaleDeFeuAC/status/1193945656538386435) for it, because she deserves so much love. Working with her has been a dream.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, this chapter... got away from me. It ended up like, twice as long as I anticipated, but there really isn't a place I'd want to split it. So instead, you get one super long, steamy chapter. 
> 
> If sex isn't your thing, this is the chapter you're gonna want to skip.

“Careful.” 

Though Yuuri couldn’t see anything, he could hear Victor giggle as he guided Yuuri’s steps. Yuuri didn’t know where he was, where he was going. Victor had placed the blindfold over Yuuri’s eyes before they’d even left the apartment. It had seemed silly at the time, hearing Victor say he was going to steal him. Was he truly being stolen if he went willingly? Yuuri wasn’t even sure what this meant. He didn’t know what Victor was trying to achieve. Though Yuuri really did want to trust Victor, there was always that worry in the back of his mind that maybe this wasn’t genuine, that maybe Victor was just trying to distract him. And even beyond that fear was the fear that Victor really believed he was in love, but only because of the mark on his jaw. Yuuri couldn’t stand to think that maybe Victor’s feelings were based on some idea of fate and not his true feelings.

Victor’s hands held Yuuri’s as he took slow steps, “Take a seat. I promise there’s a chair there.”

Yuuri reluctantly let go of Victor’s hands, reaching blindly below himself until he could feel soft fabric. He carefully guided himself down onto the couch, letting out a breath he didn’t realise he’d been holding in, “Am I going to be blindfolded the whole time?”

“Of course not.” Victor laughed. Yuuri felt the couch dip beside him, a hand at the back of his neck undoing the knot on the blindfold. The fabric was pulled away from Yuuri’s eyes and he felt warm breath tickle at his neck, “Better?”

Yuuri rubbed at his eyes, blinking a few times as he tried to readjust to the light. He wasn’t entirely sure how long it had taken them to travel to… wherever they were. His eyes weren’t prepared for the brightness of the room. It took a moment to take in his surroundings, but he didn’t quite understand what he was looking at. It was all so… normal. A coffee table sat in front of him in the middle of the floor with a television beyond that. There was a kitchen just off to the side and a hallway that seemed to have a number of doors leading to other rooms. It felt comfortable. It didn’t at all feel like the kind of place a criminal would want a police officer to see. It felt far too personal for that.

“Where are we?” Yuuri asked curiously, instinctively shifting closer as Victor’s arm circled his waist.

“My apartment.” Victor breathed the words into Yuuri’s neck like it was the most obvious thing in the world. His thumb traced circles on Yuuri’s hip, lips grazing over his jaw, “I told you I was stealing you, didn’t I?”

Definitely not the kind of place a criminal would want an officer to be, but there they were. Yuuri would’ve thought it was a lot of trust, but Victor had done a lot to ensure Yuuri didn’t know where the apartment actually was. Yuuri had been blindfolded the entire way there. The windows that he could see from where he was sitting had been completely covered. There was no way Yuuri would be able to figure out where they were based on the nearby sights, then. And Yuuri doubted any of the exits would be unlocked. Victor still wore his mask, too. Another sign that though they had gotten closer, the trust still wasn’t solidified between them. Yuuri could understand it, though. He wasn’t entirely convinced he didn’t want to arrest Victor. It was the right thing to do. Victor belonged behind bars. 

But, he also belonged in Yuuri’s arms. 

Yuuri turned to Victor and suddenly realised just how close they were. Yuuri’s nose brushed against Victor’s cheek, their eyes meeting. Yuuri could see a slight blush dusting along Victor's nose, a shy smile on his lips. His eyes were searching Yuuri’s for something, though he wasn’t sure what. Approval, maybe? It was a shame Victor still wore the mask. Yuuri would have loved to see his entire face, to really know what Victor looked like. The mask was beautiful, but it left so much unknown, too much. 

Hesitantly, Yuuri reached out and rested a hand on Victor’s knee, “I… I just didn’t expect you to ever bring me here. Why’d you bring me here?”

“For time.” Victor rested a hand over Yuuri’s, letting their fingers lace together with ease. His eyes never left Yuuri’s, voice soft and sweet like honey, “We only ever get passing moments. I just want a day. Just a day with my Yuuri. A day to learn everything about you.”

“I’m not  _ yours. _ ” Yuuri pointed out, though his teasing smile gave himself away.

Victor chuckled, looking down at their hands, “Maybe. And yet you willingly let me bring you here.”

Glancing back around the room, Yuuri gently squeezed Victor’s hand, “Do I at least get a tour?”

Victor grinned, bright and beautiful. Getting to his feet, “It would be my pleasure.”

There really wasn’t anything special about Victor’s apartment. It wasn’t like some secret lair. There weren’t any hidden exits. Victor didn’t have some place especially set up to prepare for his crimes. It was just an apartment. He had a nice kitchen with a fridge filled with fruits, snacks, and expensive wine. Yuuri noted that he didn’t seem to have enough ingredients to make a meal from home. Victor either didn’t have time to cook, or didn’t know how.

The rooms weren’t bare by any means. Victor had pieces of art hanging on the walls, though Yuuri wasn’t so sure that the art was actually worth anything. He didn’t recognise any of it as art that had been stolen from the case files. The bedroom was pristine, but there wasn’t much to it. A nightstand to one side of the room, a walk in wardrobe to the other. Beside the wardrobe was a door leading to a bathroom and in the center of the room was a large, luxurious looking bed. 

It all looked nice, but Yuuri couldn’t help but imagine how lonely it must be to sleep every night in a bed so big. His own was just big enough to be comfortable for himself alone, but this one seemed big enough for two, maybe even three people. To sleep in a bed so big every night with no one by your side had to be lonely, surely. 

“Can I…?” Yuuri trailed off, his hand tracing along the edge of the blankets. 

“Be my guest.” Victor gestured to the bed.

Yuuri was hesitant at first. This wasn’t his home, and it didn’t feel like some place Victor had set up for the moment. It felt real, it felt like this was where Victor was when he wasn’t committing his crimes. He kept glancing over at Victor, crawling into the middle of the bed. It felt like a cloud, so much more comfortable than his bed back home. Yuuri hadn’t known what he was missing out on. He laid back with his head against the pillows, closing his eyes and letting out a content sigh. 

“I um, I guess you’ve had a long day.” Victor’s smile was shy, his gaze falling to the floor.

“Lots of running. Lots of paperwork.” Yuuri agreed with a chuckle. 

A blush dusted over Victor’s nose, “Please make yourself comfortable. You might be my captive, but you’re welcome to explore. You can have the bed tonight. I’ll take the couch.” 

Yuuri raised an eyebrow, looking up at Victor. It was surreal to see this side of Victor, but Yuuri definitely didn’t hate it. His hand brushed over the mattress beside him, “Don’t be silly. This is your bed, you’re not sleeping on the couch.”

“But, Yuuri…”

“You sleep in this big bed every night by yourself?” Yuuri asked. The slight nod he received in response was almost heart breaking. Yuuri patted the spot beside him, “Well, maybe you should spend a night with someone next to you for a change.”

Victor smiled, shaking his head, “That’s sweet, but you don’t have to do that for me.”

“Maybe I’m doing it for _me_.” Yuuri tried, and he hadn’t expected to really feel those words, but he did. When was the last time he’d been with someone all night long? No expectations, just laying together and sharing their warmth? Yuuri’s voice went quiet, “Please stay with me tonight?”

Victor seemed so uncertain at first. Yuuri didn’t know exactly why he wanted this so much. Maybe it was because this was the one chance they had to be like everyone else, to pretend that they weren’t terrible for each other. Yuuri knew that in the end, he and Victor would ruin each other. But Yuuri wanted to know what it was like to love someone. But that was the scariest thought of all; that he might really be falling in love with Victor.

Yuuri could only watch as Victor took off his vest, and then Victor was sitting beside him on the bed, looking just as uncertain as Yuuri was. Yuuri chuckled, “You’re not normally this shy.”

“I don’t want you to think that I brought you here to take advantage of you.” Victor admitted, “I don’t expect anything from you, Yuuri. I just want to know you better.”

“I know.” Yuuri reached out, brushing his fingers over Victor’s, “So, lets get to know each other.”

“Okay.” Victor shifted closer. He laid on his side, wrapping an arm around Yuuri’s waist and resting his head against Yuuri’s chest.

It was a surprising position to find himself in, and yet Yuuri had craved this level of closeness. Yuuri had thought about Victor holding him in the past, but he hadn’t thought about holding Victor. He smiled, turning just a little. He brushed his fingers slowly along Victor’s arm, letting himself indulge in a moment that felt real, natural. It felt right. 

Yuuri rubbed his thumb against Victor’s arm, voice gentle, “What do you want to know about me?”

Victor let out a content sigh, “Everything. Are you an animal lover? Do you prefer summer or winter? What’s your favourite movie? Are you a morning person? Do you prefer to be the big spoon or the little spoon? Tea or coffee?” 

The questions kept spilling from Victor’s lips. More and more, questions about his past, questions about the future, questions that didn’t really mean anything at all. There was a tinge of desperation in Victor’s voice, like he knew. He knew what Yuuri did; that this was temporary, that they had to learn about each other now. It could end at any moment, but neither of them wanted it to.

Yuuri chuckled, “Slow down.” His hand kept brushing lovingly along Victor’s arm as he slowly went through the questions one by one, “I do like animals. I’m more of a dog person than a cat person, but I like both. I prefer winter. Hot cocoa and warm blankets.” Yuuri hummed happily at the thought, “That’s tough. I guess I like Ringu a lot. I’m a sucker for a good horror movie. I’m absolutely not a morning person.” 

Victor laughed at that, reaching for Yuuri’s hand and threading their fingers together. He said nothing, listening attentively to everything Yuuri said. He really did want to know it all, to learn all the intricate details that made up who Yuuri was as a person, not just the detective.

Yuuri gently squeezed Victor’s hand, “I… like being the big spoon and the little spoon. It’s nice to change it up. And I hate coffee.”

“Maybe you’d be a morning person if you drank coffee.” Victor teased.

Yuuri rolled his eyes, smiling fondly, “You know, I’m just glad you didn’t say anything about me being a cop that hates coffee.”

Victor’s laughter only grew, “I’ll have to stock up on tea for you, huh?”

As their eyes met, a silence fell between them. It was a silence so comforting, so natural. Yuuri didn’t like to believe in fate. He hated the idea of soulmates. But being with Victor felt like the most right thing in the world. It felt like being with an old friend. But it was more than that. His heart always seemed to flutter. The look in Victor’s eyes left a warm feeling in Yuuri’s stomach. It felt right and normal and all he wanted was to live in that moment, for the world to fall away and all the things that stopped them being happy together to no longer exist.

Yuuri reached hesitantly with his free hand, brushing a finger along Victor’s jaw, “Can I…take off your mask?”

He wanted to know more than anything what Victor looked like, to know every little detail of his features. A blush dusted Victor’s nose as he looked away, “One day. But… not yet.”

Yuuri could understand it. Victor didn’t trust him yet, not completely. That was fair. Yuuri wasn’t even sure if he wanted to know what Victor looked like for himself, or to be able to pick him out of a lineup. There was still a voice in the back of his mind that said Victor was the enemy, that this would be the perfect opportunity to catch him once and for all. If Yuuri couldn’t be sure what he really wanted, how could Victor possibly trust him?

“Get some sleep.” Victor cupped Yuuri’s face in his hand, kissing the corner of his lips, “We can talk more tomorrow.”

* * *

When Yuuri woke up the next morning, Victor was still there. He wasn’t sleeping though. Instead, Yuuri woke to the feel of fingers carding delicately through his hair. Yuuri couldn’t remember a time he’d been cared for quite like that. Victor was humming soothingly. When Yuuri finally opened his eyes, it was to the sight of Victor’s warm smile, to eyes so filled with love it was almost overwhelming. Yuuri still had that thought in the back of his mind that maybe this wasn’t real, that maybe Victor didn’t really care as much as he said he did. But when Victor looked at him like that, he believed it. Victor had apologised for waking him, but Yuuri just turned over, wrapping his arms around Victor’s waist and burying his face against his neck. He slowly fell asleep once more to the feel of Victor’s fingers running along his back. 

The day had been uneventful. They simply stayed in Victor’s bed and asked each other questions. Victor wanted to know the little details, the things that made up who Yuuri was as a person while Yuuri had asked Victor about his crimes, about why he did what he did. Truthfully, Yuuri hoped Victor would give him bad answers, answers that he couldn’t accept. He wanted Victor to turn him off so that they could be enemies. But, he didn’t. Victor had given the predictable answers, that he didn’t steal for the money, that he just wanted the thrills. He said he didn’t keep the money, and Yuuri could believe that. Victor didn’t live in a mansion. He lived in an apartment with only the essentials. It was comfortable, but it wasn’t luxury.

When Yuuri asked why Victor stole when he could just break and enter for his thrills, Victor had two answers; that it added to the risk, and that he could help a friend make some money at the same time. Victor didn’t pretend to be good, though. He had assured Yuuri that he wasn’t a good person, that he didn’t expect Yuuri to see him as a good person. The extra money from his thievery might have gone to people who actually needed it, but Victor never saw himself as a Robin Hood. What he was doing was still wrong. 

Truthfully, the only thing that really stopped Yuuri completely falling into Victor’s arms before was the thought that he was a bad person, that he found joy in hurting others. But he wasn’t. He knew what he did was wrong. He expressed a degree of guilt, of regret. And it was clear that Victor really had no intention to hurt anyone, that this was all just for cheap thrills. 

“What else do you want to know?” Victor traced circles on Yuuri’s chest.

Yuuri hummed thoughtfully, “Why do you always send me gardenias?”

Victor’s smile was shy. He pressed their bodies closer, voice quiet, “Gardenias have a lot of meanings.”

“Yeah?” Yuuri chuckled, “What meaning were you going for?”

“Forbidden love.” 

Yuuri’s heart soared just at the thought of it, that from the very beginning, Victor had been implying love, that he had felt so deeply even while Yuuri had pushed and pushed, even as Yuuri had fought to feel nothing at all. But it was also terrifying. Victor had supposedly felt that deeply from the beginning, so was it even real? Or was Victor just another victim of a soulmate bond, another person who fell into the belief that he had to fall in love because fate said he would.

Victor seemed to notice Yuuri’s unease. He cupped Yuuri’s face in his hand, resting their heads together, “What’s wrong? Did you not like them?”

“No, I just…” Yuuri wanted to kiss him, to forget his fears and live in the moment. But what if all of this was fake? What if Yuuri dared to let himself fall so deeply for someone who didn’t truly feel anything for him? Yuuri’s fingers gently gripped the front of Victor’s shirt, “I don’t know if you’re feeling these things yourself, or if you just think you have to because of the colour on your jaw…”

“You still think I’m brainwashed and that none of this is real?” Victor nudged his nose against Yuuri’s cheek, “Darling, I thought you were stunning the second I laid eyes on you. You’re strong. You’re smart. You fight for what you believe in. I love that about you.”

“I can’t be what you want.” Yuuri whispered, though he desperately wished is wasn’t true, “We’re supposed to be enemies, and I can’t change that. Not even for you.”

“I don’t want you to.” Victor assured, “I love how passionate you are, how hard you work. If you were the type of person who would change to make me happy, we’d never work.”

“Victor…” 

Victor’s voice was delicate against the corner of Yuuri’s lips, a whisper shared just between them, “I love you just the way you are. Mark or no mark.”

Yuuri could feel his uncertainty disappear in an instant. The voice in the back of his head, the one that had always been reminding him that they were from different worlds and couldn’t work was silenced. It didn’t matter. It didn’t matter that they were from different worlds, that the whole world was against them being together. It didn’t matter that they were all wrong for each other. It felt right. Yuuri had never felt happier than he did when they were together. 

Yuuri’s lips found Victor’s, his fingers tangling in silky silver hair. He wasn’t sure how words could possibly do justice to the way Victor made him felt. There was a reason he’d been battling with himself all this time. All he wanted was to give in, to let himself enjoy every single moment they had together. Yuuri never thought he would love anyone, that anyone would be able to challenge him and bring him such joy before. Yuuri let out a content sigh as Victor’s arm wound around his waist, pressing their bodies closer together. That’s exactly what Yuuri wanted, what he had been craving since that night in the elevator. Closeness. 

Yuuri whined softly when Victor’s teeth grazed over his bottom lip, a reminder of that day. But it was different now. There were no distractions, Victor wasn’t going to disappear. They had all the time in the world to explore each other, and that’s exactly what Yuuri wanted to do. Nothing felt like enough. After so long denying his feelings, Yuuri just wanted this, wanted Victor. His free hand dragged under Victor’s shirt and along his back. Victor’s breath hitched and Yuuri used that as his opportunity, deepening the kiss. Everything about the moment felt right, easy. Their bodies fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. Yuuri’s fingers dragged down Victor’s back, running his foot slowly, teasingly along Victor’s leg.

“Wait.” Victor pulled away from the kiss and Yuuri’s lips followed desperately, instead trailing kisses over the mark of their bond. “I told you I don’t expect anything from you, darling.”

“I know.” Yuuri chuckled, gently squeezing Victor’s hip, “You just told me you love me and you expect me to resist pulling your clothes off?”

“That’s all I had to say? I could’ve had you a long time ago.” Victor teased.

“Could’ve had me against that elevator wall.” Yuuri admitted, nipping gently at Victor’s lip, “But you ran away.”

“Something I regret every day.” Victor’s voice went soft, “You looked so lost.”

“I wanted you to stay.” Yuuri rested their heads together, closing his eyes. “I don’t know if I just wanted to catch you. I just know I didn’t want you to leave.”

“My Yuuri, I will stay by your side always. I won’t let you feel like that again.” 

Yuuri’s heart fluttered, a blush staining his cheeks. He had read dozens of notes from Victor, all saying cheesy romantic things, but it was different when Victor said it out loud. It was different when Yuuri could hear the sincerity in his voice. Yuuri’s foot dragged along Victor’s calf, whispering against his lips, “Take your clothes off.”

Victor’s eyes seemed to get darker; from calm seas to stormy oceans, “I’m not taking the mask off.”

“I’m not asking you to.” Yuuri reached for the front of Victor’s shirt, working off his buttons, “I just want to share myself with…the person I love.”

It was possibly the scariest thing Yuuri had ever admitted to; love. He was in love with someone who wasn’t going to be around forever, someone who would one day end up in jail. How long of a sentence would Victor get? Would they ever see each other again? How long would they be separated? Would Yuuri end up behind bars, too? An accomplice to a criminal. Sleeping with the enemy.

It would be worth it. Victor was worth it. 

In an instant, Victor was over Yuuri, straddling his hips. His lips sought out Yuuri’s almost desperately in a kiss so passionate Yuuri lost himself in it. Yuuri hadn’t felt that way before, that love so encompassing he could drown in it. Victor’s hands were tugging at Yuuri’s clothes, fingers dragging under the fabric and sending shivers down Yuuri’s spine.

“Always loved a man in uniform.” Victor chuckled breathlessly against Yuuri’s lips.

It had been months, months since the day they met in that hallway. Months since Yuuri first noticed Victor’s beautiful eyes and months since his life had changed. Victor had been teasing him from that moment, had constantly been pushing and pulling in this game of cat and mouse. Yuuri didn’t want tease anymore. He wanted touch. He wanted more.

Yuuri dragged his fingers down Victor’s back, cupping his ass in his hands and pulling him down, dragging their hips together, “Stop teasing.” 

Yuuri drank the moan from Victor’s lips, a sound so wonderful he was desperate to hear more. Victor was pulling Yuuri’s shirt open in an instant. Yuuri missed the feel of Victor’s lips on his own immediately, only resisting the urge to pull him back when he felt Victor nip at his clavicle. His fingers dipped back into Victor’s hair eyes falling closed as those tempting lips kept moving along his body, lighting fires beneath his skin. 

Victor seemed to know everywhere to touch, all the places Yuuri liked best just out of instinct. His lips dragged over Yuuri’s skin, kissing and nipping down his body until he was at Yuuri’s hip and Yuuri realised just how desperate he was, just how badly he wanted this. Victor’s palm pressed against the front of Yuuri’s pants and Yuuri could feel his smirk against his side, “You’re already so worked up just for me?”

Yuuri’s hips rocked into Victor’s hand, moaning under his breath, “Please…”

“Please what?” Victor dipped his fingers beneath Yuuri’s pants, slowly guiding them down his legs, “Tell me what you want, darling.”

“I-I…” Yuuri didn’t know what he wanted, really. Just more. More touch, more Victor. He’d spent so much time alone, so much time thinking about Victor but not daring to let himself do anything about his feelings. To be able to finally give into temptation was so overwhelming. “Make love to me.” Yuuri bit his lip, a blush blooming on his cheeks. Victor went still for a moment. Long enough for Yuuri to look down at him, concerned, “Victor?”

Maybe he’d said the wrong thing. Maybe he was letting go a little too much. But Victor had said the L word, too. Victor had teased and pushed at Yuuri since the moment they met. Was it really too much to ask for something so simple? Maybe it was. Love was overwhelming, and Yuuri was still coming to terms with how in love he really was. Maybe he was pushing Victor too hard. The fear sank in as he watched Victor, hoping he would say something.

Victor brushed a hand along Yuuri’s bare thigh, looking him up and down. Yuuri couldn’t remember a time he’d felt so self conscious. Victor had an incredible body. He seemed tall and thin from a distance, but up close he was built well with broad shoulders and firm muscles. In comparison, Yuuri really wasn’t much to look at. He was in shape of course, he had to be if he wanted to keep up with criminals, but he didn’t have the muscles that Victor had. He was slim, but not built. Average. That’s what Yuuri would’ve described himself as.

“You’re so beautiful.” Victor finally murmured, voice so soft and gentle Yuuri could feel the sincerity.

Yuuri’s breath caught. He reached for Victor’s hand, threading their fingers together, “So are you.”

Victor pulled Yuuri’s hand to his lips, kissing his knuckles, “My darling Yuuri…” Of all the ways he could’ve reacted to such a sentimental moment, Yuuri didn’t expect to find himself giggling, biting his lip as his blush grew deeper. Victor smirked, looking up at him, “What?”

“Here I am, naked and desperate for you to fuck me, and you’re being a charming gentleman.” Yuuri chuckled, “I thought the great Mercury took what he wanted.”

“I do.” Victor confirmed, pressing another kiss to the back of Yuuri’s hand, “But I also take the time to truly appreciate a work of art.”

Yuuri looked away, not expecting to feel so shy. No one had ever said so many sweet things to him. His heart felt full to bursting and he found himself wondering once more why he had fought this for so long. How could he fight something that made him so unbelievably happy? Yuuri gently squeezed Victor’s hand, “I want to be connected to you. Please.”

“Anything for you, my love.” Victor practically purred. 

Yuuri watched curiously as Victor crawled back up his body, dropping kisses against his chest as he went. Victor reached for the bedside table, pulling out a condom and a bottle and Yuuri laughed, “I thought you said you weren’t expecting anything.”

“I wasn’t, but a guy can dream.” Victor smirked. 

It was adorable and ridiculous at the same time, something that of course Victor would say. Yuuri didn’t know what he did to deserve this. Even in the most intimate of moments, they were able to laugh together. Being with Victor felt so easy. Yuuri bit his lip as he watched Victor slick his fingers, the anticipation leaving a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach. Victor was so gentle, a single finger grazing against Yuuri’s rim. Yuuri’s breath hitched, eyes half lidded as he prepared himself for that push. He hadn’t realised just how badly he wanted it until Victor was right there, ready to give.

Victor’s breath was warm against Yuuri’s lips as he whispered, “Tell me how it feels.”

Yuuri gasped as Victor’s finger pushed into him, slow at first, careful as he stretched Yuuri open. Yuuri moaned under his breath, rocking himself down against it, fingers tangling in Victor’s hair, “Mm more…”

“Already?” Victor chuckled, nuzzling against Yuuri’s neck. “Take it slow, darling. We have all the time in the world.”

The gems on Victor’s mask were cold against Yuuri’s skin, a stark contrast to his hot breath. Victor’s kisses were gentle, tongue swiping lazily at Yuuri’s neck between each one. There was something about it, about the way Victor stayed gentle even as he tried so hard to bring Yuuri so much pleasure. Yuuri was losing himself to it, fingers tightening in Victor’s hair as his head fell back against the pillows, “Victor…”

It seemed to be all the motivation Victor needed, his teeth grazing against Yuuri’s neck as a second finger joined the first. Yuuri’s moans grew louder as he became more accustom to the sensation, rocking himself down on Victor’s hand again and again. He hadn’t ever felt so desperate before. Desperate for touch, for closeness. Yuuri never wanted it to end. Victor’s fingers slowly stretched inside him, dragging in and out of him at an agonising pace. Yuuri needed more. He needed to be claimed, but just as much, Yuuri wanted that sensation to last forever.

“Tell me how it feels.” Victor urged, nipping at the shell of Yuuri’s ear.

“It’s… Victor…” Yuuri mewled, fingers dragging down Victor’s back, “Feels good… don’t stop.”

Yuuri could feel Victor’s smile, his gentle nips accompanied by the stretch of his fingers. Yuuri could tell immediately what Victor was doing. Searching. His fingers curled inside Yuuri, slow and methodical. Yuuri slowed his movements, still gently rocking against Victor’s hand, urging him to keep going. It took time, Yuuri’s breath becoming more ragged by the second as he became more desperate. But then Victor’s fingers curled just right, rubbing against Yuuri’s prostate and Yuuri felt like he was floating and sinking all at once.

The moans that spilled from Yuuri’s lips grew louder, fingers tightening in Victor’s hair as his hips bucked against Victor’s hand, “F-Fuck!”

“Like that?” Victor teased his fingers against that spot, nibbling at Yuuri’s neck, working a mark into his skin.

Yuuri loved the thought of it, a mark that wasn’t just some soul bond, a mark Victor had chosen to leave on his skin. Victor was claiming him and nothing had ever made Yuuri so happy. Yuuri tugged gently at Victor’s hair, earning a moan of his own, “If you don’t fuck me right now—”

“You’ll arrest me?” Victor laughed, taking Yuuri’s cock in his free hand and stroking along his length. His thumb brushed over the head, earning a desperate whimper from Yuuri as he fucked into Victor’s hand, “You’re in no position to make demands, darling.”

Yuuri groaned, a mix of arousal and frustration. Victor was giving him so much and not enough all at once. But he didn’t want Victor to think he held all the cards, he didn’t want Victor to think he was the one in control. Yuuri pulled away just enough, whining sadly as he lost that pressure inside him. His leg wrapped around Victor’s and in one swift movement, he was flipping their bodies, straddling Victor’s hips. 

Yuuri nipped at Victor’s lip, pressing himself back against Victor’s cock and rubbing teasingly against him, “Don’t you wanna feel it?” Their heads rested together as Yuuri cupped Victor’s face in his hand, “To be connected to the one you love…?”

Victor’s breath hitched. Yuuri blushed as Victor turned his head to press a kiss against his palm, “You are so sexy.”

“I love you.” The words fell from Yuuri’s lips without a second thought. He loved Victor. He was in love. It didn’t matter how wrong they were for each other, Yuuri couldn’t fight it. Victor was everything to him.

“I love you.” Victor echoed his words, fingers trailing down Yuuri’s back. He slowly turned them back, pressing Yuuri into the bed and leaving a kiss against his lips, “Let me show you how much.”

The warm feeling hit the pit of Yuuri’s stomach once more, the anticipation sending a shiver down his spine. As Victor reached for the condom, Yuuri took it from his hand, “Let me.”

Even the smallest of moments was important. Yuuri wanted to make it last. His lips found Victor’s in a delicate kiss, a kiss so soft his heart fluttered. Love. That’s what it really was. He’d been denying himself the love of his life all this time, but no more. Yuuri carefully slid the condom into place, his tongue dancing against Victor’s as their kiss grew deeper but just as sweet. This was happiness. This was something Yuuri had no idea he’d been missing from his life. Victor was his other half, and it wasn’t that Yuuri couldn’t live without him. But Yuuri knew that if he did, things would feel empty. It didn’t matter how annoyingly infuriating Victor could be. Yuuri still adored him. Yuuri still craved every moment they could be together.

Victor shifted their bodies, his hands resting at Yuuri’s hips. His lips were soft against Yuuri’s, smiling as he spoke, “You sure you wanna have sex with a criminal?”

It was like a test of Yuuri’s conviction, that last chance to turn back from this path. Yuuri could stop right there, could change his mind and defy that bond they had. He could push Victor away, could tell himself that he wasn’t in love and that this wasn’t worth the risk. Or he could embrace it. He could let himself fall entirely into Victor, let this feeling of love consume him and worry about the consequences later. Yuuri was a logical person. He was the kind of person who would always do the right thing. The right thing was to stop. The right thing was to find his cuffs and arrest Victor, to put this behind them and pretend it never happened.

Yuuri’s fingers brushed down Victor’s back, feeling out every curve of his body. Yuuri’s leg wrapped around Victor’s waist, the heel of his foot digging into Victor’s ass and pressing him down, urging him closer, “I made my choice.”

The soft moan that spilled from Victor’s lips was positively sinful, sending a new wave of arousal through Yuuri. But then Victor was pressing in, connecting them, and Yuuri was sure this was what heaven felt like. Yuuri’s breath caught, burying his face in Victor’s neck as his fingers dug roughly into his back. It was a lot, so much. The feel of Victor inside him, filling him was overwhelming, but Victor kept his movements slow, trailing kisses against Yuuri’s shoulder as he pressed deeper, deeper.

“V-Victor…” Yuuri mewled, fingers tangling in hair like moonlight, desperate to keep Victor close.

“It’s okay,” Victor reassured, pressing kisses along Yuuri’s neck, whispering sweetly into his ear, “I’ve got you, darling.”

It was so reassuring. Victor had him, Victor would take care of him. In the moment, Yuuri was sure that nothing bad could ever happen, because Victor wouldn’t let it. Victor was like Yuuri’s anchor, holding him firmly in place as the seas became unbearably unstable. Victor might have been the reason for Yuuri’s worries, but he was also the cure. When they were apart, the fears crept in, the doubts. But when Yuuri was in Victor’s arms, the voice of doubt was silenced. Everything made sense. Yuuri wanted to stay in Victor’s arms forever.

Yuuri’s lips moved along Victor’s jaw, trailing kisses against the mark his fist had long since left behind. The symbol of their bond. Yuuri wasn’t sure how he felt about it, really. Of all the places the mark of their bond could’ve bloomed, it had to be Victor’s jaw. He’d have to live with that for the rest of his life. Then again, there was nothing that could have better expressed their relationship. At one moment, Yuuri wanted to punch Victor. But equally, he wanted to hold Victor’s face in his hands and kiss him until they were both breathless. 

Yuuri did just that, cupping Victor’s face so tenderly as they kissed. Victor’s lips were so soft, so inviting. Yuuri took Victor’s lip into his mouth, tongue lavishing it with affection between gentle nibbles. Victor’s content sigh was so sweet, his hips shifting back at an agonising pace. Yuuri whined as there was less and less of Victor filling him, suddenly feeling so empty. But then Victor was grinding back, filling him so completely. They drank moans from each others lips, the kiss growing deeper, more desperate. And yet, everything was still so soft, so gentle. 

Victor’s hand trailed along Yuuri’s stomach, sending shivers down his spine. Their bodies moved together in perfect harmony, Yuuri pulling away just as Victor did, moaning as Victor slowly fucked into him. “You’re so beautiful…” Victor’s voice was a gentle whisper against Yuuri’s lips as their bodies rocked together, “My perfect Yuuri…”

Yuuri whined, nails digging into Victor’s back as he rocked down on Victor’s cock again and again. He was already desperate, but hearing Victor talk, hearing him say so many wonderful things, his hot breath against his skin, it all had Yuuri craving more. Victor’s hand dipped lower between them, taking Yuuri’s cock and stroking in time with every thrust of his hips. Yuuri was gone, lost to the sensation as wave after wave of pleasure rushed through him. 

“V-Vic… fuck, don’t stop.” Yuuri begged, bucking into Victor’s hand again and again. He nipped at Victor’s jaw, murmuring between breathy moans, “Keep talking. Like it when you say those things…”

Victor’s chuckle left a warm feeling in Yuuri’s chest, “You’re so cute. But so sexy at the same time.” Victor groaned, fucking harder and harder into him. The gems on his mask were so cold. Victor pressed kisses everywhere they touched, “I thought it the moment I laid eyes on you. My stunning, clever detective.”

“Yours.” Yuuri murmured.

“You are my greatest treasure. More precious than the stars.” Victor moaned under his breath, his thumb dragging over the leaking head of Yuuri’s cock, “Yuuri, fuck you feel so good.”

“Close.” Yuuri gasped, biting his lip, “Gonna come…”

“Me too.” Victor carded a hand through Yuuri’s hair so gently, maintaining that soft sweetness even as his hips fell out of rhythm, thrusts becoming more and more desperate, “It’s okay, darling. Let go for me.”

Yuuri could feel that familiar warmth coiling inside him, rocking into Victor’s hand again and again, driving himself closer and closer to the edge. It was as Victor fucked into him that Yuuri finally let go, teeth digging into Victor’s shoulder as he moaned in pure bliss. It had to be heaven. To be held so close, loved so deeply, Yuuri hadn’t ever experienced anything like it before, but he never wanted that feeling to go away. Victor’s moans joined his own and even as Yuuri slowly came down from the high, he could feel Victor bucking into him, riding the wave of his own orgasm. 

Yuuri’s head fell back against the pillows, fingers running through Victor’s hair as he collapsed over him. Yuuri hummed happily, tangling a strand of silver around his finger, “Mm wow…”

“Wow?” Victor’s voice was muffled against his chest and Yuuri laughed, the moment feeling so simple, so them.

“That… didn’t just feel like sex.” Yuuri admitted, biting his lip as he smiled. 

“It wasn’t. It was love.” Victor wrapped his arms around Yuuri’s waist, making himself comfortable, and Yuuri could feel his words so deeply, like they were the one thing that truly made sense.

* * *

He wasn’t sure when he fell asleep. At one moment, he was holding Victor, making the most of their time together, and the next, he was waking in the dark of the night. It was scary, really. Yuuri was afraid to waste even a second, knowing that this time that Victor had stolen for them was finite, and that once it ended, he didn’t know when he’d see Victor again, or if they’d ever be able to be like that together again. 

When Yuuri woke, Victor was sleeping soundly on his chest, a hand resting over Yuuri’s heart while the other had found it’s way into Yuuri’s. Yuuri smiled shyly, pulling Victor’s hand to his lips and kissing his knuckles. This was a chance, one he might not ever have again. Victor was sleeping so soundly. It would be so easy. 

All Yuuri had to do was reach out and slide that mask from Victor’s face. He’d know once and for all what Victor looked like. Not only that, he’d be able to identify Mercury if anyone ever needed him to. He could claim an anonymous tip, say that there was a witness who had managed to glimpse Mercury without his mask. With enough time and work, he could build a case. Mercury would be caught and Yuuri’s career would be safe once more. No mistakes. He didn’t make mistakes.

And from the beginning, Yuuri hadn’t made a single mistake.

It seemed like it at first. Mercury got away in that hall. Mistake. Mercury got away at the ball. Mistake. Mercury managed to slip away at the museum. Mistake. But was it? Victor didn’t belong behind bars. He was a criminal, but he wasn’t hurting anyone. Not intentionally. What’s that thing people say? Everything happens for a reason? Maybe Mercury was never supposed to be caught. Maybe none of it was a mistake.

Yuuri wanted to know what Victor looked like beneath the mask. He wanted to know what his soulmate looked like. It wouldn’t change anything, not really. But Yuuri was so curious. His fingers brushed along the corner of Victor’s mask. It would be so easy. Victor wouldn’t even have to know. Victor would sleep and Yuuri would slip the mask back on. No one would get hurt.

Victor’s words kept running through his mind. Love. This was love. Victor had fallen head over heels for him, had risked everything so many times just for the fleeting moments that they’d gotten to spend together. Even though Victor had been uncertain about showing his face, he was putting his trust in Yuuri, trust enough to sleep there and believe Yuuri wouldn’t do anything. He couldn’t bear the thought of breaking that trust.

Instead, Yuuri’s fingers trailed along Victor’s arm, letting the warm feel of skin against skin soothe him back to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

The weeks had flown by since their day together. Victor had dropped Yuuri back home, leaving a long, tentative kiss to his lips before he did. Victor didn’t want to let go. He wanted one more day wrapped up in Yuuri’s arms. Victor had slept so soundly as Yuuri held him. He only wished he’d returned the favour. How sweet it would have been to feel Yuuri bundled up in his arms so comfortably. But it was just nice to be held, to feel so cared for. Yuuri had denied it for so long, but things had changed. Ever since he lost Victor’s case, he was letting go, giving into temptation. And that was wonderful. It really was. 

But Victor hadn’t planned this far ahead.

It wasn’t that Victor’s feelings weren’t real. He just hadn’t expected them to be so intense. He thought Yuuri was cute at first, and then a challenge. Yuuri made Victor have to work harder as a criminal, but he also made Victor work to woo him. Or maybe he didn’t. Maybe Victor hadn’t had to do any of the things that he had, but he wanted to. Yuuri made him want to be a romantic. Victor wanted to pamper him, to send him gift after gift and write him poetry. Because the truth was that Victor was desperate to make Yuuri understand how he felt. And yet there were no words that did it justice. The longer he knew Yuuri, the deeper those feelings grew. It was like Yuuri was a part of him, sinking in deeper and deeper, becoming more and more vital to Victor’s happiness.

This wasn’t going to last and Victor hated it.

Those moments when they were alone, Victor could forget everything. He wasn’t Mercury, and Yuuri wasn’t a detective. They were just Victor and Yuuri. The world didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was them. But it couldn’t always be that way. He couldn’t pretend that everything was fine. Eventually it would fall apart. Victor was confident he wasn’t going to get caught, but he couldn’t ignore that possibility. One day he would run out of people to steal from in that city, or the police would get too close and he’d have to skip town. Either way, that would be the end of his time with Yuuri. Sure, there was long distance, but Victor was struggling with the time apart they had already. He needed more Yuuri, not less. Besides, Yuuri was putting himself at risk now. If anyone found out about them, Yuuri would be the one behind bars. Victor didn’t want to hide them. He wanted to hold Yuuri’s hand in public, to let the world know that he was Yuuri’s soulmate.

The obvious answer was to stop. Victor could just… stop stealing. No more crimes, put the mask away and never wear it again. But, this was Victor’s life. It had been for so long, he didn’t know what he was supposed to do instead. A regular job? Chris was right, that wasn’t him. A normal job would be boring. The entire reason Victor did what he did was because he was bored. He’d be back to square one. Or would he? Being with Yuuri felt different to everything else he’d ever felt before. It was exciting. It made his heart race. Being with Yuuri was a new kind of exciting he could exchange it for in his life. But this was only the beginning. Eventually, they would fall into a rhythm. He’d never stop loving Yuuri, but there might be a time when it stops being exciting and starts being just… them. Victor would be bored all over again. 

So, what the hell was he supposed to do?

* * *

Yuuri’s life had gone back to normal since his consensual kidnapping. He’d come to terms with the fact that he wasn’t getting Victor’s case back. That was fine. He didn’t want that added pressure to arrest him. As a cop, he knew he should, but if it was his case, then he would have had absolutely no way to talk himself out of it. And Yuuri had quickly realised just how in love he really was. Yuuri knew that eventually this would all be over. He didn’t want to think about it. He wanted to pretend this would last forever. And he knew now that he wasn’t capable of being the person who put an end to it all. 

Victor was still sending him gifts. It was usually little things. There were the occasional trinkets, but more often than not were the flowers. Yuuri had noticed that the gardenias had changed since their special day together. Bellflowers, carnations, roses, forget-me-nots, jasmines, primroses, tulips, lilacs… every time, it was something different, and every time Yuuri searched for the meaning behind them, he found the same answer; love. Victor had stopped placing ‘forbidden’ before that word. It was now just love. Pure, wonderful love. The notes hadn’t changed much. Victor still shared stories about himself., but he also talked about Yuuri, about how much he cared for him, how beautiful he was, and on some occasions, Victor had written about how he felt when they made love.

On those occasions, Yuuri would usually let those notes take him back, touching himself to the thought of that night, to the thought of Victor’s voice whispering sweet nothings against his skin.

As happy as Yuuri was, he missed Victor. They hadn’t seen each other since that day. Weeks. Weeks had gone by. Yuuri would’ve thought that maybe Victor had lost interest, but he still sent the gifts. Yuuri didn’t know why Victor had stopped appearing to help him catch criminals. He acted like he was just as in love as before. Yuuri had expected Victor to want to be around him even more, not to hide away.

Maybe what Victor needed was time. Yuuri didn’t know what Victor was doing, but he knew that he was unpredictable. He did things that Yuuri never expected. The silence didn’t mean that anything was wrong. It just meant that maybe Victor was planning something. Maybe Victor was going to sweep him off his feet and steal him away for another night. Yuuri wouldn’t mind. He only wished he could do the same for Victor. Yuuri could just imagine it. 

He’d walk up to Victor’s door with a bunch of pale blue orchids. Yuuri wasn’t sure what they meant, but they reminded him of Victor’s pretty eyes, so it had to be those. They wouldn’t go anywhere. Yuuri would bring some food and cook Victor his own meal. After that, Yuuri would take Victor’s hand and ask for a proper dancing lesson. He’d be terrible at it. They’d trip over each other, fall onto the couch and maybe get lost in the intimacy. Maybe they’d get too lost to bother moving, maybe they’d make love right there.

Perfect.

“We need to talk.” Phichit rushed into Yuuri’s office, closing the door behind him as he went.

Yuuri had been lost in himself and his work the last few weeks. Honestly, Yuuri felt a little bad about it. He wanted to be able to be there for his friend a bit more, but life had been so crazy since Victor came along. He could change that, though. Yuuri could make time to spend with his best friend. Maybe one day, Victor would trust him enough to meet Phichit. He wasn’t sure if that was a good idea or the worst idea. Yuuri could already imagine the mischief those two would cause if they ended up in the same room together.

Yuuri sighed, “I know, I haven’t been around much, I’m sorry.”

“You don’t get it.”

“No, I do. You’re my best friend and my crap shouldn’t come between us.” Yuuri looked away, the guilt starting to sink in, “I’ll take you wherever you want tonight, okay? My treat. We can just hang out.”

“Yuuri, listen to me!” Phichit rounded the desk, sitting in front of Yuuri with his hands on his shoulders as he looked into his eyes. Yuuri couldn’t remember a time he’d seen Phichit so serious, “They found him.”

Yuuri’s blood ran cold. His heart skipped several beats before racing ahead, a lump rising in his throat. It was always going to happen. There would come a time when Victor would either get caught or skip town. There was no escaping it. But, Yuuri had hoped that maybe they would have a little more time together. He hadn’t expected things to come to an end so soon. Yuuri wasn’t ready for it to end yet.

Tears stung at his eyes, lip quivering as he whispered, “Did… did they catch him? Did he get away? Is he safe?”

Phichit shook his head, “Not yet. They got tipped off to a location he’s been spotted frequenting. I asked around and Popovich is planning to get him soon. Like, preparing the officers right now soon.”

Yuuri clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. Not now. Not when things finally felt right, not when Yuuri was finally letting himself enjoy this for what it was. He couldn’t let them take Victor away now. He took a deep breath, steadying his nerves, “Is it too late?”

“I don’t know.” Phichit admitted, “Do you want to try? They might catch you, too.”

Phichit was right again, of course. If Yuuri went to warn Victor, it would mean risking getting caught himself. He would be an accomplice and they’d both end up behind bars. It was selfish and stupid and wrong, but Yuuri had spent his whole life looking after other people. He’d spent his whole life trying to make others happy, doing other people’s work in order to get to the top. And he still wasn’t close to the top. Yuuri wanted just this once to be selfish, to have this for himself. 

“You know where they went?” 

“I do.” Phichit held out a piece of paper, pulling it away just before Yuuri could take it, “Once you do this, there’s no going back, Yuuri. If you go there, you’re either helping them arrest him, or you’re a criminal, too.”

Yuuri didn’t hesitate, plucking the paper from Phichit’s hand and getting to his feet, “I know what I’m doing.” 

It was as Yuuri was tugging on his jacket, about to head out the door that he heard Phichit call after him, “Do the right thing. Whatever that is.”

* * *

Yuuri had no idea what he was doing. He said he did, but the moment he was in his car, driving in the direction of the address listed on the piece of paper, Yuuri didn’t have the first clue what he was actually planning to do. This was the time when everything would be decided. They didn’t have time to discuss this. Yuuri didn’t know how quick Popovich was going to be. He could drag Victor away, find a safe place, and then they could talk about next moves, but it still meant this was coming to an end. One way or another, this was the sign that meant he and Victor weren’t going to see each other again. 

Yuuri had to finally decide if he was going to be the one who put an end to it, or if he let someone else do it for him.

It sounded appealing to let someone else do it, to run away from his own problems and pretend they didn’t exist. But, Victor wasn’t a problem. He was the one thing in his life that made sense, the one thing that made Yuuri truly happy. Victor wasn’t a problem. This entire situation was. Maybe in another life, they would’ve been happy. Maybe they would’ve been childhood sweethearts who fell in love when they were teens and were never apart. Maybe in another life, they would’ve been completely normal. But, Yuuri didn’t want it to be something for another life. Yuuri wanted to be happy. Victor made Yuuri happy. It wasn’t some fairytale they could only have in another life. Yuuri just had to keep fighting for it.

Yuuri parked his car a street over, getting out and walking the rest of the way. It wouldn’t help if they saw his car there. There would only be questions, something linking him to the scene. But even as Yuuri walked, his pace was picking up, fear bubbling up inside him. Every second lost could be a second too late. What if he didn’t get there in time? What if he got there just as they were dragging Victor away? The very thought made Yuuri feel sick. Victor wouldn’t let himself get caught. He never had. But, that was before. That was when Victor was in complete control. He wasn’t in control this time. Yuuri didn’t know if Victor could win this time.

Eventually, Yuuri’s walk turned into a jog, and that jog turned into a sprint, his adrenaline mixed with fear kicking in and driving him forward. He was close. Close to seeing Victor again, close to being in his arms again. Close to losing him forever. Tears stung at his eyes, but he kept running. The building was in sight. A quaint little apartment building. It looked so completely ordinary, perfect to hide from the law, really. The atmosphere felt familiar, though. Was this really the place Victor had taken him to? They had come in and left in the dark of night. There hadn’t been anyone around to see Victor pulling Yuuri through hallways with a blindfold on. But it felt familiar as he walked into that apartment building. He didn’t stop, just kept moving straight to the elevator, hitting the button for the floor listed on the piece of paper.

Dimitri Zolotov. That was the name written there. Apparently the name that Victor was using to rent his apartment. Or maybe that was Victor’s real name. Maybe the name he’d given Yuuri had been a lie from the beginning. Yuuri doubted it, though. He didn’t seem like a Dimitri. As he reached the door, Yuuri knocked immediately, leaving no time to wonder if Victor wanted to see him, no time to let insecurity take over. Now wasn’t the time.

“Yuuri?” Victor’s voice was muffled on the other side of the door. At least Victor seemed to check the keyhole before he answered his front door. There was a scramble behind the door. When Victor did finally open it, he had his mask on, concern in his eyes, “How did you find me?”

“I’ll explain, but right now we have to go.” 

“What the hell is going on?” Victor pulled Yuuri inside.

Yuuri groaned in frustration, tugging on Victor’s arm and pulling him back towards the door, “How do you think I found you, Victor? We have to go!”

“I don’t know. You just appeared out of no where and…” Victor took a step back, sadness in his eyes. Yuuri had never seen him look so hurt, “You said you were going to arrest me one day.”

“I know I did.” Yuuri cupped Victor’s face in his hands, closing his eyes and resting their heads together, “But today isn’t that day. They’re coming to get you. Right now. Please, I can’t lose you.”

Victor went quiet, and Yuuri wasn’t sure what to do. What else could he say? He could beg and plead, but every second they were losing was a second closer to Victor getting caught. Victor’s hands rested at Yuuri’s waist, holding him close, “How long do we have?”

“Minutes? Seconds?” Yuuri had tears in his eyes, but he didn’t care. He was just so scared that this was going to be the end of everything for them. After so much fighting not to love Victor, he’d finally given up and now, just when he was allowing himself to enjoy this, it was being taken away from him, “I came as soon as I heard, but they could be outside right now for all I know.”

“Shh darling, it’s gonna be okay.” Victor pulled away, reaching out and gently rubbing away the tears that had begun to fall from Yuuri’s eyes, “We’re gonna get out of here. Just give me a second, okay?”

“We don’t have a second!” Yuuri insisted, reaching out and gripping Victor’s shirt before he could move any further into that apartment, “I know you like danger, but you can’t take the risk this time.”

“I know, but I can’t risk them seeing you with me. Just stay right here and I’ll get something to hide your face, okay?” Victor pressed a kiss to the top of Yuuri’s head and was gone before he could say anything.

Yuuri was a mess. He’d never done anything so reckless before, never cared this much before. His stomach was tied up in knots, mind racing through all the things that could go wrong. This was bad. This was worse than Yuuri had anticipated. He had no idea what he was supposed to do. Where were they supposed to go? When they got there, what were they supposed to do next? If they had gotten this close to finding Victor, he wasn’t safe anymore. They knew his name, or at least the alias he’d taken up. They’d be able to track him now. Even if he managed to get Victor out of there, Victor would have to disappear to stay out of jail.

It didn’t matter. As long as Victor was safe, it didn’t matter.

Yuuri looked up as Victor entered the room once more, an exact copy of his mask in hand. He laughed as Victor plucked the glasses from his face, carefully placing the mask over his eyes, “You have another one?”

“Just in case.” Victor placed Yuuri’s glasses over the top, the rhinestones making them sit skewed. “Bit rough, but it’ll have to do.”

Yuuri reached for Victor’s hand instinctively, letting their fingers lace together. They were a team now. No matter what happened, Yuuri knew he had to keep Victor safe. Nothing bad could happen to him. Yuuri would make sure of it. “We can’t walk out the front door like this.” 

Too conspicuous. Too obvious. Besides, they couldn’t risk walking straight out to the police and giving themselves away. There were more options, though. No apartment building would be complete without multiple exits. They just had to find the right one.

Victor guided Yuuri out the door, “There’s a fire exit one floor down. They'd expect us to use the one on this floor. Where’d you park?”

“A street over. Just south of here.”

“Perfect. We get out, get to your car, no one knows we were ever here.”

Yuuri wanted to believe it would be that simple, but he knew it wasn’t. Life had a way of making the things that really mattered a struggle. And Yuuri knew that if this detective was any good at his job, chances were that he would already be outside. Yuuri had been told last second and had rushed to get there. Popovich had time to prepare and go. He’d be there by now. If he wasn’t, his officers would be. They had to move.

As the elevator opened down the hall, Victor tugged Yuuri around a corner, wrapping his arm around his waist from behind and pulling him close, “Shh.”

Yuuri leaned back against Victor, a reassuring weight given the circumstances. They had to be quiet. They were already here. Victor wouldn’t have reacted that way for any other reason. Victor had been through this song and dance so many times now, he knew what to look for, and he knew how to get out. The only problem was that he knew how to get out in the most noisy way possible. He knew how to make a scene. That wouldn’t work this time. 

If the officers were already heading up to this floor, it meant that they were stationed, that they no doubt had people on the stairway, and that their exits were quickly getting locked up. They were running out of time fast. Yuuri pointed to the door, urging Victor to keep moving. They were by the stairway. Almost out. They just had to go down a flight of stairs, take the fire exit and make a run for it before anyone saw them. 

Victor let go of Yuuri’s waist, opening the door as quietly as he could manage and gesturing for Yuuri to get inside. Yuuri’s heart was pounding, fear spiking within him, but it wasn’t for himself. It was for Victor. Yuuri didn’t care what happened to him anymore, he’d made his choice. But Victor had to get away.

Once inside, Victor silently closed the door and once more, their hands found each other as they rushed down the stairs. The panic was beginning to set in, “They’ll be waiting for us.”

“That’s okay, we don’t need to leave this stairwell.” Victor assured, “We just have to keep moving.”

“Don’t move!” Yuuri’s heart sank, blood running cold as the unfamiliar voice demanded their attention. They were at the bottom of the stairs, the fire escape was right there. All they had to do was make a dash for it, but there was a gun pointed directly at both of them, an officer Yuuri didn’t recognise. He didn’t know if that was reassuring or not. Either way, they’d been caught.

Yuuri held his hands out in front of him, trying to express without words that they were harmless. Victor was stood behind him, slowly sidling his way towards the door. They just needed an opening, a chance to run. They did have distance. The officer wasn’t too close, they could get away if they could just find the right opening. But it seemed like every second that passed was making the officer jittery, prepared to fight to get this arrest. And as Victor’s hand rested against the panic bar, that seemed to be enough reason for the officer to react. 

Yuuri moved before he even heard the gunshot, shielding Victor with his own body as he yelled desperately, “Go!”

Victor took the opportunity, pushing the door open and dragging Yuuri through with him. The moment it was closed, Yuuri leaned back against it, sucking in a stuttering breath as he waited for Victor to do something. They needed more time. They didn’t have enough time to get away, not like this. Victor looked desperately around the area, spotting some heavy boxes and pushing them over to obstruct the door. It wasn’t much, but it was something. 

“Are you okay?” Victor asked, fear in his voice.

“I’m fine.” Yuuri hadn’t felt anything. Maybe it was the adrenaline. The only sensation he did feel was a wet heat just above his hip. He reached for the spot, hand pressing against the sickly wet feeling and coming back stained red, “Oh…”

“Yuuri…” Victor’s breath caught, reaching out to press his hand against his wound, “C-Can you keep moving?”

“Yeah. I’m okay, we have to go.” Yuuri assured. He’d been injured plenty of times in the line of duty, but this was a first. A bullet wound. It didn’t matter, though. Nothing mattered but getting away. The pain hadn’t set in yet. Yuuri knew he could keep moving. The sooner the better. The last thing Yuuri wanted was to lose blood here, blood that could get traced back to him.

“Just lean into me, okay? We’ve got a few more stairs to go.” Victor wrapped an arm around Yuuri’s waist, pulling him close.

The moment Victor’s arm was around him, Yuuri leaned into the warmth, wrapping his own arm around Victor. His body felt heavy, but he kept moving. Having Victor there to keep him upright helped. But as they moved, as Yuuri kept moving, it started to get to him. His head felt fuzzy, like he was floating on a cloud. But it wasn’t the same way it had been when he was in bed with Victor. It was more disjointed, like he didn’t feel in control of himself. Everything felt automatic and slow, and Yuuri just wanted to stop, to rest. But they had to keep moving. Yuuri wouldn’t let himself be the reason Victor got caught. 

“You okay? We’re almost there.” Victor held Yuuri tighter as he stumbled, “C’mon, I’m not leaving you here.”

“I’m… I’m fine.” Yuuri felt dizzy, burying his face in the crook of Victor’s neck and closing his eyes. It was only meant to be for a moment, but his lids were so heavy. Yuuri pressed his body into Victor, allowing himself a moment of rest. Just a moment.

“Yuuri, open your eyes!” 

He could hear Victor’s voice like he was close but so far away. It was comforting and scary all at the same time. Yuuri wanted to get closer to it, closer to Victor. Just like it was back at his apartment. So warm, so happy. Yuuri smiled at the thought of it, and let himself sleep in that warm embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't even mean for this chapter to be the one before the weekend wait, but here we are... have a good weekend everyone and find out what happens next on Monday :|


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being so patient, guys. This came out late 'cause I made a bet with someone that I'd be able to do something before them (no one has one yet), and for that reason, I might end up dropping the final chapter on Friday rather than Wednesday 'cause... life. Ha. Anyway, enjoy!

When Yuuri woke, he was still moving. He was still moving, though he had no control over it. The world was still passing by around him, a warm arm wrapped around his back, hand resting under his arm. Another supported his legs from beneath his knees. Oh. That was why he was moving. Yuuri groaned softly, head lulling against Victor’s shoulder. He was so warm. A nice comfort when his head felt so fuzzy. Like cotton. Like he wasn’t in control. 

“Yuuri? Yuuri, I can see your car, where are the keys?” Victor’s voice was so desperate, and Yuuri hated it. Why was he so sad? Yuuri didn’t ever want to hear that fear in Victor’s voice.

Yuuri’s eyes were still heavy, the fatigue setting in. Or was that the blood loss? But Victor was holding him. He was safe. Things seemed important. Very important. Why was it so important? What were they doing? Oh right, escape. Yuuri had to focus, to help Victor get to safety. Where were his keys? Well, Yuuri usually left them in his pocket, so if he had to guess, that would be the place. But, he needed to tell Victor that. 

His mind was so fuzzy, forming a sentence took more effort than he’d expected. Yuuri reached out, gently gripping Victor’s shirt, “My uh… pocket…”

“Okay, darling. Stay with me. Can you get them for me?” Victor’s words were rushed in his desperation to keep Yuuri talking, to keep him busy. To keep him awake.

“Yeah…” Yuuri’s head lulled back. He reached down his body for his pocket, feeling how damp his shirt was, “Oh.”

Okay. That was a lot of blood. A lot more than he had expected. Surprisingly, Yuuri still couldn’t really feel it. It felt like he’d been punched in the side, but there was no real pain. Just this horrible floaty feeling as he lost more and more blood. There was a fear in the back of his mind. Was this it? Was this how he was going to die? He supposed there were worse ways to go. At least he got to spend his last moments in the arms of the one he loved.

“It’s okay. It probably looks worse than it is. I’m gonna get you patched up, okay?” Victor’s arm around his side seemed to tighten as he said it, a need to keep him close, to reassure himself that Yuuri was still there, “You’ll be running around trying to catch me again in no time.”

Yuuri chuckled and the pain hit. It was like he had a bruise on his side. It ached. Yuuri whined sadly as that pain set in, “Don’t… don’t make me laugh.”

“I’m sorry, darling.” Victor pressed a kiss against Yuuri’s hair, stopping in front of Yuuri’s car and shifting his hold, making sure he had Yuuri secure, “Keys?”

Yuuri reached into his pocket, his movements slow, but he managed to tug the keys free. His grip wasn’t the best. Everything he did felt sleepy, only half the effort he could normally muster. “Here.”

Yuuri looked down at the buttons on his keys, pressing the button that unlocked the car. Victor shifted, using his arm around Yuuri’s legs to carefully open the car door. Every movement was cautious, like he was afraid to hurt Yuuri. In fact, Yuuri was sure that was what it was. But Yuuri wasn’t feeling any pain. Just a need for sleep. 

Victor placed Yuuri into the passenger seat, closing the door, and the moment it was shut, Yuuri let his head rest against the window. They were on the home stretch now. They just had to run and not look back. They could think about the consequences later. For now, they just needed to find somewhere, somewhere they could be without any fear of the police. They needed a plan, but a place to stay would be good enough for now. 

“We’ll be alright. I’ll get you some help, just sit tight.” Victor was at his side faster than Yuuri expected, the car already moving, “Talk to me, Yuuri.”

“About what?” Yuuri murmured. The rumbling of the car was helping to comfort him, Yuuri was even more sleepy than he thought he was.

“What do you want to do when we get out of this mess?” 

“Hm dinner.” Yuuri smiled to himself, “You and me.”

“We can do that.” Victor chuckled, “I know a good Italian place. That’s romantic, right?”

Yuuri hummed softly, listening to Victor talk. It was beginning to sound like white noise; a low rumbling to match the movement of the car. Before he could think of anything more to say, Yuuri was asleep once more.

* * *

“Yuuri? Yuuri, come on. Please…”

Victor’s voice was the first thing Yuuri heard when he woke. His eyes were still closed, and Yuuri wasn’t sure he could open them. They felt so heavy. It felt easier to just keep them closed. Yuuri could feel arms wrapped around his waist from behind, a hand pressed hard against his side. The bullet wound. Right. He’d been shot. Funny how it was so easy to forget such an important detail when he was so exhausted. 

“I got you some help, you’ve just gotta hold on a little longer. Please open your eyes.”

Victor’s voice had never sounded so desperate. It was almost painful to listen to it. Yuuri didn’t like to hear Victor so sad. It was rare to ever hear him so sad. Yuuri was so used to Victor being full of energy. For once, Yuuri wanted to hear Victor tease him, for Victor to flirt and tell him he was special. Being with Victor made him happy. But Yuuri knew that he wasn’t making Victor happy now. He had to fix it. How could he fix it? 

Open his eyes. That’s what Victor wanted. Yuuri shifted his body, resting his head back against Victor’s chest. Oh. That was nice. Victor was a warm weight behind him. A soft groan left his lips, his muscles aching. How long has he been sleeping? Long enough for Victor to be scared. That was all Yuuri knew. It felt like seconds, but it could’ve been hours. Was it hours? No… Yuuri wasn’t sure he could last that long with a bullet wound. And Victor wouldn’t make him wait that long.

“Yuuri?” Victor’s voice was mixed with relief and fear, his arm tightening around Yuuri, “Say something. Talk to me, I need to hear your voice.”

Yuuri wasn’t sure he could handle so many demands at once. He was still working on opening his eyes, after all. Yuuri blinked slowly. Looking down at himself, he could see Victor’s legs on either side of his own. So he was in Victor’s lap. That made sense. It looked like he was in a bed. That was surprising. Yuuri didn’t recognise where exactly it was, but it looked clean, pristine. It looked empty besides the bed they were on. Yuuri could see the blood staining Victor’s hand around the wound. Was it stopping, or was Victor just prolonging the inevitable? Yuuri didn’t want to die. Not now. Not just as he had gotten everything he could possible hope for. 

Yuuri pressed his head back against Victor’s shoulder, looking up at him, “Victor…?”

His voice was weak, but he managed it. Progress. He had managed to fulfill both of Victor’s requests. That felt pretty good, but it wasn’t what Yuuri was focused on. The man behind him was what had caught Yuuri’s attention. Pretty silver hair, soft blue eyes, a strong jawline. He’d seen those features so many times, but he’d never been able to piece them all together without a mask obscuring that face before. It was Victor. Not Mercury, just Victor.

“Hey, you.” Victor smiled, tears in his eyes, “Just hold on a little longer, okay?”

“Victor.” Yuuri murmured the name under his breath, reaching out and resting a hand against Victor’s jaw, “You… you look… even prettier without the mask…”

The blush dusted over Victor’s nose instantly, but Yuuri didn’t have much time to enjoy it, his eyes falling shut one more. So tired. He was so tired. Yuuri could vaguely hear Victor talking behind him, though he couldn’t make out the words. His head was foggy. Yuuri let himself succumb to sleep once more.

* * *

“…With this as it would be with a coma, but I’m scared, so just let me try it.” Yuuri could hear Victor’s voice again, the end of a sentence, but he could piece together the context. Something that compared what was happening to Yuuri to a coma. Not quite the same, Yuuri had just lost a lot of blood. He didn’t know how much damage the bullet had actually done, but he was waking up often enough to know this wasn’t a coma.

“I thought I was a nobody for a long time. I think that’s why it really started. I always tell people it’s because I was bored, but I think there was a bit more to it than that.” Victor’s hand was in Yuuri’s, his voice soft, “I had a regular job for a long time. It wasn’t anything special. I didn’t help people, I just… did a regular nine to five job. But it got boring. I wasn’t happy. So, one day I decided to drop everything, to leave Russia and come here, hoping a change of scenery would help.”

Yuuri hadn’t expected Victor to be so honest with him. He wasn’t sure if it was just because Victor thought he was sleeping, or if these were things Victor really would have told him one day. . Of course, Victor had already told him plenty of things about himself, but Yuuri didn’t hear it in so much detail. Victor and Yuuri had already been so intimate, but this felt different. This felt like even more. Yuuri was too tired to talk, but he didn’t want to. He just wanted to listen to Victor.

“When I got here, I was excited to see something new, but pretty soon, I was just back to that routine. I got bored again. I don’t really remember how I stole for the first time, what made me do it, but there was a thrill to it. But it wasn’t just that. I think there’s a chance I would’ve still gotten bored. But then I started getting noticed. It was like… I was someone for the first time.” Victor sighed softly and Yuuri felt a kiss against the back of his hand, “So, I kept going. I kept trying bigger targets because it got me more attention. But you know, even that got boring after a while. Maybe because people were getting bored of me.”

Yuuri wanted to open his eyes, to look into Victor’s and listen to every word he was saying. But Yuuri’s eyes were still heavy, and there was a fear in the back of his mind that if he opened his eyes, Victor would stop talking. So instead, he stayed still, he let himself remain comfortable in the bed, breathing slow and steady. Breathing didn’t hurt. It wasn’t difficult. Yuuri was sure that meant the bullet wound wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been, but he didn’t know how much blood he’d lost. He didn’t know blood loss could make you feel so weak and tired. 

“And then I met you. It was like opening my eyes for the first time. You made me smile. Really smile. I wanted to make you happy, I wanted to impress you. I wanted to make you fall into my arms and tell me you felt the same things I did.” Victor chuckled, but Yuuri could hear the difference, the sadness within it, “I was someone again. Someone to you. That’s why I got so scared when you stopped chasing me. I was so scared that you got bored of me, too.”

It was hard to hear it, to know how alone Victor had been feeling for all this time. Emotions drove him to do these things, and Yuuri couldn’t blame him. Yuuri had given into his temptation for Victor for so many reasons, but a driving factor was because he was alone, and Victor made him feel like he mattered. He went against his better judgment because Victor made him happy, regardless of how bad he actually was.

“But, I won’t do it anymore. No more stealing. No more crimes. I’ll go clean, I swear. I can’t let this happen ever again. Losing you… I couldn’t bear it, Yuuri. I don’t need the world to know who I am. Or the country, or the city. Just you. Being special to you means so much more than anything else ever has. You’re everything to me. So please… please wake up. Please just let me know that you’re okay.” 

Yuuri could hear Victor’s voice crack, could hear the desperation. Yuuri hated it. He hated knowing that he was causing Victor so much pain. Because everything Victor felt, Yuuri did, too. He was so desperate to find a way to be with Victor despite everything pushing them apart. He risked everything to warn Victor, to keep him safe. Because he loved Victor. He loved Victor enough that he was worth all the pain in the world if it meant he was okay.

Yuuri could feel the fatigue setting in once more, the ability to stay awake growing more and more difficult, but before he gave into it, he tightened his grip on Victor’s hand, hoping it would be enough to reassure him.

* * *

It felt like he’d been sleeping for days. Waking and sleeping over and over, Yuuri had lost track of time. He didn’t even know what had happened. It seemed like they were safe, but Yuuri didn’t know where Victor had actually brought him. This time, he woke with an IV attached to his hand. Looking down at himself, he could see the bandaging at his hip. He’d been treated. It was surprising to him, the pain hadn’t come at all, though now he could feel a tightness in his side. 

When Yuuri looked around him, he was still in that room he didn’t recognise. But he wasn’t alone. Victor was asleep beside him, head rested against the mattress and hand still holding Yuuri’s. The mask that Yuuri had become so familiar with was laying forgotten on the table beside him. Victor wasn’t Mercury anymore. Not around Yuuri. He was just himself. And as much as they had been through, as hard as things had been and as confused as Yuuri was, he just wanted to focus on Victor, to give himself time to take in all his features.

Victor was stunning. Yuuri wasn’t sure how he’d ended up with a soulmate who looked that flawless. There wasn’t a blemish on Victor’s skin save for the soul mark on his jaw. He was perfect. Silver hair fell into his face as he slept, soft locks like moonlight. Yuuri wondered how much sleep Victor had actually gotten. He’d been through hell and back for Yuuri, had dragged his body out of that apartment building and taken him to this place. He’d gotten Yuuri patched up just like he said he would. But Yuuri remembered the little moments as he slipped in and out of consciousness. He remembered Victor’s fear, how hard Victor had worked. He must’ve been exhausted.

Yuuri reached out, brushing fingers through Victor’s hair with a fond smile. He’d been through so much just to keep Yuuri safe. Victor could’ve left him there. In fact, that might’ve been the smarter move. Yuuri had been given that mask. It could’ve looked like he was really Mercury, not Victor. But instead, Victor never gave up on him. Victor kept him close, kept talking to him. Victor had shared everything with him. This wasn’t just some mistake, some feelings Victor only felt because he thought he had to. Victor really loved him. So much that he was willing to risk everything to protect him.

Yuuri’s hand gently squeezed Victor’s, watching as his eyes slowly fluttered open. Not enough time, really. Victor surely needed more sleep than that. But the moment Victor looked up and saw Yuuri looking back at him, he was on his feet, moving closer, reaching out and brushing a hand against Yuuri’s cheek, “Are you okay? Does it hurt? Is there anything I can do?”

Yuuri was still tired, admittedly. It might have had more to do with whatever medication was being pumped into his system than anything else, though. Yuuri pointed to a plastic cup beside him, “Water.”

Victor snatched it up in an instant, holding it out for Yuuri and watching him closely as he sipped from the straw, “I… I thought…”

Yuuri let out a content sigh as he finished his sip, nodding his head, “I know. I’m sorry.” The guilt had already sunk in. He’d put Victor through too much, had scared him too much. Yuuri patted his hand against the edge of the bed, a silent request to have Victor closer.

Victor was careful, a reminder of that first night they’d shared a bed together. But once he was settled beside Yuuri, his arms wrapped around him, pulling Yuuri into his arms and holding him close. His voice was a gentle whisper against Yuuri’s hair, “I don’t want to steal anymore. I just want to be with you.” 

“So, stop.” Yuuri responded simply, resting his head against Victor’s chest.

“How? What do I do? Everything else is… not me.” 

Yuuri smiled, bringing Victor’s hand to his lips and kissing his knuckles, “Stop stealing. They’re looking for… Dimitri. Not Victor.”

Victor hummed softly, “I could get my name on all my documents changed back. Chris could do that, he has good connections…”

Yuuri nuzzled into Victor’s chest, sighing contently, “The trail will run cold. You’ll be free.”

Victor’s fingers stroked slowly along Yuuri’s side, “But… what will I do?”

Yuuri didn’t know why Victor hadn’t thought of it sooner, honestly. It made perfect sense in his own mind, even if it would be quite the change in profession, “Become a cop.”

“What?” Victor pulled away just enough to look at Yuuri, “You’re not serious.”

“Why not? You’re good at it.” Yuuri brushed a hand along Victor’s arm, looking away as a shy blush dusted over his cheeks, “You’ve helped me catch plenty of criminals. You know how their minds work. I could put in a good word for you.”

Victor’s teeth dug into his lip, “I’d… work with you?”

“Every day.” Yuuri smiled.

He liked that idea, the thought of chasing after criminals with Victor at his side, of sitting in his car staking out a building with Victor beside him. They’d probably end up distracting each other. Maybe in that respect it was a terrible idea, but Yuuri still liked it. He knew that Victor would be good at it. And they’d both feel less alone. Yuuri did have some influence. He’d gotten as far as detective over a short period of time, and though Mercury’s case had put a dampener on things, the cases Emil had given him since then had helped to bring him back up. If he told them that Victor would be good for the job, no doubt they’d listen. Besides, maybe he could talk Phichit into helping him out.

There were some issues, of course. Victor hadn’t studied to become a cop, he didn’t have the qualifications, but that didn’t necessarily matter. Sometimes, people learned what they needed on the streets, and Yuuri could help Victor learn the rest. It would be good to keep them together. Their soul bond would no doubt work in their favour. Keeping soul mates together was always a good idea, so it would make sense to have Victor working at his side, right? There would be no risk of fighting, they would know each other better than anyone else ever would and they’d be able to react to each other’s actions with ease. Besides, Yuuri had caught plenty of criminals with Victor’s help before, and he could do it again to prove Victor’s worth. Victor would still get his thrills, he’d just be on the other side of it. This seemed like the perfect solution if Victor really was willing to give up his life of crime.

Yuuri brushed a kiss against Victor’s jaw, voice soft, “We’d have so much fun chasing bad guys. Together. But it’d mean putting yourself in the system. They’d know who you are and if you go back to crime, they’ll be able to catch you instantly.” Yuuri’s hand tightened in Victor’s, “If you’re going to give up stealing, you have to mean it. No going back. I’ll make sure you’re never bored. And you’ll always be someone to me.”

Victor’s breath caught as Yuuri said it, pulling Yuuri closer and brushing their lips together. Yuuri’s were chapped, but Victor didn’t seem to care. This was their own little world, their moment captured in time. It felt good to just belong to Victor, to be able to fall into his arms and know he was safe. 

Victor rested their heads together, voice delicate between them, “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” The words fell from Yuuri’s lips without a second thought. It was obvious. As simple as breathing. The sky was blue, and Yuuri loved Victor.

The moment was quickly interrupted when the door swung open, catching them both by surprise. A man stepped in, clipboard in hand and a look of disdain on his face when he saw the pair of them pressed together, “Really? Not even going to give him a chance to recover?”

Victor smiled sheepishly, “I’m not even allowed to hold him?”

“If you must.” The man pinched the bridge of his nose before turning his attention to Yuuri, “Call me Doctor Lee. You lost a lot of blood. I was able to remove the bullet from the wound, but you needed a transfusion to make up for everything you lost. Fortunately for you, the bullet didn’t hit any major organs. Your biggest problem was the blood loss.”

Yuuri nodded hesitantly, looking between the two of them. He was more surprised that there was a doctor Victor could call on in this kind of situation without fear of the police being alerted, “I… um. H-How long until I can go home?”

“Give it a couple days. I need to keep an eye on you after that transfusion. Just in case.” The doctor scowled as he looked down at his clipboard, “I’ll do it for now, but when you leave, you’ll have to regularly clean and dress the wound.”

“I can do that.” Victor spoke up, though his focus was on peppering delicate kisses along Yuuri’s neck.

“Wash hands before and after changing the dressing, don’t use any alcohol, iodine, peroxide, skin cleansers or soaps with antibacterial chemicals. No lotions or creams on or around the wound and please, no herbal remedies.” Doctor Lee rolled his eyes as he looked up from his clipboard, “You getting this, Victor?”

“Clean hands, clean wound, no chemicals.” Victor murmured, gently nipping Yuuri’s jaw and earning a deep blush in response. “I’ll take care of him, I promise.”

The doctor sighed defeatedly, “You could have some anxiety or trouble sleeping. After what you went through, that’s completely normal. If it becomes overwhelming, let me know.”

The doctor was about to walk out the door when Victor called out after him, “Thank you. Really, you have no idea what this means to me.”

Doctor Lee waved his hand dismissively, “We’re even now. Debt paid, just don’t ask me for any other favours.”

Before Victor could say anything, he was already gone. Victor sighed sadly, tracing circles against Yuuri’s side with his finger, “Doctor Seung-gil Lee. Bedside manner could be better, but at least he’s good at what he does.”

Yuuri nodded hesitantly, looking down at their linked hands between them, “You saved my life.”

Victor’s smile was sweet, sending Yuuri’s heart racing as he spoke, “And you gave me a new one.”


	11. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuse, man. I've been so lost in my own world and not doing much writing lately x.x But here it is at long last, the epilogue. I still have 2 other oneshots I want to write for this universe but I'm not entirely sure when they'll happen. We shall see! But for now, a happy ending for our lovebirds.

There was a slight burning in Victor’s lungs from overexertion as he rushed after the criminal. He’d done this so many times now. It was routine, but it also wasn’t. Chasing criminals wasn’t new anymore. He’d been doing it for months now. But every criminal was different, every criminal had their own way of running. They were unpredictable, and this was more fun than Victor expected it to be. A challenge. Victor liked a challenge. And there was something exciting about impressing Yuuri. Victor had to do well, so he kept running. 

Victor hadn’t expected the chase to be so drawn out, but he kept moving, doing his part. The plan was simple enough, the same plan they usually had, but one that meant Yuuri often had to improvise. Victor was meant to herd. He was meant to push the criminal to run in a specific direction, eventually leading to Yuuri. Sometimes, that didn’t work out. No matter how good Victor had gotten at pushing them the way he wanted them to go, sometimes they threw him curveballs. Yuuri had to be prepared for the criminal to get out of Victor’s control. But, Victor went out of his way to stop that happening.

Because he wanted so badly to impress Yuuri, to get this right without Yuuri needing to improvise, Victor had been running longer than he expected. One wrong turn. The suspect had made a left when he was meant to make a right and Victor had been stuck thinking three steps ahead, going through his knowledge of the streets to set him back on the right path. Despite the inconvenience, these were Victor’s favourite kinds of chases, the ones where the suspect was smart and Victor had to be smarter. 

The chase didn’t last long. Victor hadn’t closed in on him, but that wasn’t part of the plan. Victor’s smile grew brighter as Yuuri made his appearance in front of the suspect, grabbing his arm and using the momentum of their movement to shove him into the wall. The cuffs were out and slipped onto the suspects wrists effortlessly. It all seemed like on fluid motion, a motion Yuuri had done so many times before. Victor couldn’t stop smiling as he watched Yuuri escort him into the backseat of their car. 

Yuuri looked back at Victor, frowning, “What?”

“I love being a cop.” Victor admitted, stepping closer. 

It had been just under five months. Victor had learned so much in such a short amount of time, had fallen into place as a police officer. It hadn’t been easy. Emil had been on board from the beginning, but some saw the soul bond as a weakness rather than a strength. If something happened to Yuuri, it would compromise Victor. It was true, but Victor knew it would never come to that. They were able to work together now. No hiding. It had taken a month to get Victor’s name on all his identification changed back to Victor Nikiforov. In that time, he’d been stuck sharing Yuuri’s tiny bed, not that he minded getting so close. But it was different now. 

It didn’t seem like much time at all, but so much had changed. Yuuri had known right away that they couldn’t stay in that apartment, that it was too small for the three of them, but to separate soulmates? Out of the question. So, they looked for a place together. Phichit still spent about as much time in their new apartment as they did, usually inviting himself in. Three months into the arrangement, Yuuri had surprised Victor with a poodle. A family, is what he called it. That’s what they were. It all felt so… normal. But, Victor wasn’t bored. Not even a little bit. He loved every second of the life he had with Yuuri. He might have become another face in the crowd all over again, but he wasn’t to Yuuri. And that was all he needed.

“Oh yeah? You gonna love the forms we have to fill out for this guy later?” Yuuri smirked.

Victor pouted, “Don’t ruin it.”

* * *

_ “…And it’s been six months since the trail for Mercury went cold.” _

Victor’s hand stilled on the coffee mug, looking up at the television. Yuuri was watching the news. Victor had never been interested in the news. Too much sadness. It always felt like a downer, not worth thinking about. But, Yuuri liked to be kept in the loop. He said it was good for work, good for figuring out potential motives. Still, this particular news story sent a chill down Victor’s spine. 

_ “Police believed they had finally caught the masked criminal six months ago. Unfortunately, Mercury managed to escape, but this was the last anyone has heard of Mercury. No further crimes were committed and no signs were found leading to his or her whereabouts.” _

“If only they knew.” Yuuri remarked, combing his fingers through the fur of their poodle. Still small, but she’d already grown so much since they first got her.

_ “Though the masked criminal remains at large and his or her life of crime seems to have been retired, it hasn’t stopped a surge of copycat crimes…” _

“Can you turn it off?” Victor sighed, staring at the cup in front of him, “Please?”

The television flickered off a moment later, Yuuri dropping the controller at his side as he looked over the back of the couch at Victor, “I thought you enjoyed the attention.”

“I did.” Victor conceded, making his way over to the couch, “But I’m not proud of it. And I don’t like who I was. I don’t like the things I did to you.”

“Give Vitya some room, Makkachin.” Yuuri gentle nudged the poodle in his lap, reaching out for Victor’s hand as she dropped to the floor, “Like making me fall for you?”

Victor settled on the couch, letting Yuuri pull him into his arms as they laid out together. It would never get old, would never be boring. Being in Yuuri’s arms made sense. Victor had never felt anything more right. Victor reached out, brushing a hand along Yuuri’s cheek, “You did the same for me. Swept me right off my feet.”

“Mm soulmate bonds. Can’t resist them.” Yuuri teased with a smile so sweet, Victor felt his heart skip a beat at the sight alone. Yuuri tilted his head into Victor’s delicate touch, closing his eyes, “I’m sorry, you know?”

Victor frowned, shifting himself closer. As he left a soft kiss against Yuuri’s jaw, Victor murmured into his skin, “What for?”

“Making you change.” Yuuri threaded his fingers in Victor’s hair, a satisfied sigh leaving his lips, “I didn’t want you to change to be with me. I still loved you, even with the mask.”

Victor smiled, resting their heads together, “You didn’t change me. I wanted to change.”

“Do you ever miss it?”

Victor thought maybe he would. The thrill of being chased and always getting away. The thrill of being bad and knowing there wasn’t anyone who was ever able to stop him. Victor enjoyed being the elusive criminal, but it was getting bland. In the end, he was always doing the same thing. Steal something, run. Things were different now. Victor was a cop. He was chasing criminals with Yuuri, stopping them. Every single one was different. Things always felt fresh and new, and Victor got to do it all by Yuuri’s side. How could he possibly want anything else?

Makkachin jumped up on the couch at their feet, carefully pulling herself up on Victor’s back and settling herself there. She laid down with her head resting on Victor’s shoulder, peeking over it and looking down at Yuuri. Yuuri’s giggle was infectious. He reached out, gentle petting behind her ears. 

Victor chuckled, pressing a kiss to Yuuri’s cheek, “Why would I miss it? I have everything I could ever want right here.”


End file.
